With My Open Lungs

Director Yana Sad has long carried a camera, but it’s only when she unexpectedly falls in love with Yaroslava that she begins to use it – capturing precious yet ambivalent moments. Amidst the chaos of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Yaroslava’s battle with lung cancer, their emotional rollercoaster unfolds in a collapsing reality. The only anchor is the growing love between the two women, lived in all its vulnerability, tenderness, and intimacy. In this deeply personal and stirring film essay, it becomes clear: the will to love is stronger than the storm of war. (Cosima Lange)