Фільм з кіноциклу «Обрані часом».

Про українських художників Василя та Федора Кричевських, їх важку та суперечливу долю розповідає цей фільм.

The cycle of documentary short films is dedicated to Ukrainian filmmakers and famous artists who are defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their reflections on their own transformation during the war, rethinking of values, creativity, and war.

The project consists of one feature-length film and six short novellas, which focus on the story of the protagonists, their motivations, transformation, and vision of war.

The documentary film "Save", directed by Serhii Zeinalov and Maksym Khotilenko, is dedicated to the tragic events following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam and their impact on the residents of the Kherson region. The film tells the personal drama of director Zeinalov, whose grandmother and grandfather remained in the occupied town of Oleshky during the catastrophic flooding.  

After the dam’s destruction, the directors set off from Kyiv to Kherson, hoping to rescue Serhii’s relatives. However, reaching Oleshky, located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, proved impossible due to the destroyed Antonivskyi Bridge and Russian military shelling. This bridge, incidentally, was built under the supervision of the director’s grandfather, Afanasiy Dermenzhi.  

The film provides a detailed portrayal of the efforts of volunteers and residents who risk their lives to evacuate people from the flooded areas. Viewers witness the heroic actions of ordinary citizens who, despite the danger, organize rescue operations using boats and improvised means.  

The director’s personal story, "Save" conveys a profound emotional charge, showing how war and natural disasters shape the destinies of individuals and entire families. The film not only documents the events but also raises important questions about humanity, solidarity, and the strength of family bonds in the most difficult moments of life.

At noon, in the shade of riverside trees — as if in the middle of life — you lose something. Yet love is as strong as the river.

A man is going through abrupt changes in his life — personal and those caused by the war. He spends a day alone with the river, revisiting forgotten hobby — fishing. A sense of love and acceptance fills the man, but only for a brief moment — he must return to the war.