Rule of Two Walls (2024) movie review

Ironically, it is the madness of Putin’s imperial ambition that has most effectively rallied leaders and civilians to the cause of Ukrainian nationalism, and the relentless brutality of his attack that has most strengthened solidarity with Ukraine from Western and European powers. It speaks to the spirit of resistance that still motivates Ukrainians today, that for all those who fled their homes and lived outside the country as refugees, millions of civilians defiantly chose to remain in Ukraine, fighting to -defend his homeland.

When he flew to Warsaw in April 2022, just over a month after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian-American documentary filmmaker David Gutnik intended to make a film about people displaced by the conflict. After learning about artists who were left behind in the western city of Lviv, near Poland, his focus shifted and he found himself crossing the border with a camera in hand.

“Rule of Two Walls” began filming that month and wrapped production in Kiev in November amid blackouts caused by attacks on Ukraine’s electricity supply and other critical infrastructure. In that early phase of the conflict, as Russian forces bombed cities and destroyed urban areas, the wail of air raid sirens became so commonplace that civilians often chose not to seek refuge in bomb shelters. If every day could be their last, they reasoned, they didn’t want to spend it running for cover, bracing for impact.

The title refers to this fatalistic thought process and the liminal reality that gave rise to it: staying safe without leaving home and keeping at least two walls between you and the impact of the explosion. Living in war, as distinct from simply surviving it, makes such unimaginable compromises inevitable. What is extraordinary about Gutnik’s film is what it captures of everyday life under such conditions: how, even as bombs fall and rockets arc overhead, life goes on. How not to?

For Lviv, even waking up in the morning is a form of resistance, and a beautiful one – which is why Gutnik, who combines narrative and documentary techniques in his film, chooses to open “Rule of Two Walls” with a scene of two lovers. in bed, sharing a joyous moment before the sirens sounded. In his focus on musicians and artists who found a way to create in the midst of destruction, processing their anger and pain through art-making, Gutnik’s main exploration is of the continuing role that Ukrainian culture plays in sustaining society and of the national spirit, of how staying true to artistic instincts is a signifier of deep dedication to Ukrainian cultural identity; of individual expression as collective resistance.