Official selectionTIFF Ethical Film Award, Nominee
The love of Olya and Oleh, a young queer Ukrainian couple, is put to the test when one partner's gender transition collides with Russia's full-scale invasion. As war narrows and challenges the boundaries of masculinity and femininity, they struggle to preserve their bond and sense of self. What does it mean to be a man in a country that is fighting for its identity and survival?
Isabelle Stever is a German director and screenwriter whose films premiered at the Berlinale, Toronto, Locarno and Busan. Her last two features were collaborations with her wife, Ukrainian scriptwriter and novelist Anna Melikova.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39