Ukrainian Documentary 'Dear Beautiful Beloved' Reveals War's Human Toll
Film-maker Juri Rechinsky's documentary Dear Beautiful Beloved delivers a powerful message from the Ukrainian frontline, documenting moments of kindness and compassion amidst the overwhelming death and grief that surrounds evacuation and forensics teams.
A Mother's Grief and the Terrible Toll of War
"My son, my sunshine, my beloved child." A mother is overwhelmed by grief as she strokes the face of her son, a soldier lying in a coffin, killed on the frontline. This poignant scene is just one example of the terrible toll of the war captured in Rechinsky's film. Another week brings another Ukrainian film about the conflict, but Dear Beautiful Beloved stands out for its dual focus on evacuation missions and the recovery of fallen soldiers.
The documentary follows two critical operations in Ukraine: teams of volunteers transporting the elderly and frail from their homes to safety away from the frontlines, and the meticulous work to return the remains of fallen soldiers to their families. It is a painful film, haunted by death at every turn, yet it is also tender and moving, with a powerful underlying message that compassion, love, and resilience can serve as profound acts of defiance against the horrors of war.
Evacuation Efforts: From "Comrade Grannies" to Safe Relocation
The film opens with the evacuation of elderly residents from their homes to a processing centre located in a former hospital. Here, one volunteer affectionately addresses them as "comrade grannies," a moment of warmth in a dire situation. From this centre, they will be relocated to more permanent housing, a transition filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
As she prepares to leave her flat, one woman frets, "My hair is a mess," highlighting the small, human concerns that persist even in crisis. An English volunteer named Elizabeth embodies gentleness, offering smiles and patience as she clasps the woman's hands in her own. Rechinsky also captures scenes of women and children boarding trains leaving Ukraine, tugging along wheelie cases and bundling babies into their warmest onesies, a visual testament to the mass displacement caused by the conflict.
Forensic Recovery: Honoring the Fallen with Dignity
The second focus of the film is the arduous work done by forensics teams and the military to recover and identify the remains of soldiers killed in battle. A man built like a wardrobe, named Oleksandr (whose nickname in the credits is "Bulldozer"), undertakes the difficult, exhausting, and risky job of driving bodies around the country back to their families.
His white Transit van, with soldiers painted with angel wings on the side, becomes a symbol of this solemn duty. As it passes through one town, people line the streets, kneeling on the kerb to honour the dead, creating a scene of desperate sadness and communal mourning. This segment underscores the film's exploration of loss and the enduring human spirit in the face of tragedy.
Dear Beautiful Beloved is available on True Story from 20 February, offering viewers a raw and emotional insight into the ongoing war in Ukraine.
