‘Timestamp’ Review: Powerful Ukrainian Documentary Captures Both Pain and Resilience of Children During Wartime

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In a war, what often comes to mind are images of violence, injury, and triumph. However, wars like the current one between Russia and Ukraine don’t typically encompass an entire territory. Instead, they have designated boundaries, battlefields, buffer zones, and regions that have been temporarily evacuated. While these events unfold, a significant portion of the country carries on with daily life: The elderly remain at home, adults continue to work, and children still attend school.

The final group is at the center of Kateryna Gornostai’s potent new documentary, Timestamp (Strichka Chasu), which delves into how Ukraine’s educational system operates amidst a comprehensive invasion. The film portrays everyday school life across various levels, from kindergarten to high school seniors, emphasizing the tenacity of students as they persevere while their nation is under attack, and teachers striving to navigate a disastrous circumstance effectively.

Instead of conventional interviews or using news clips, Gornostai’s style mirrors that of documentarians like Frederick Wiseman, who focus more on showing rather than telling. On-screen captions provide city names and their distances from the conflict zone, while the rest of the documentary Timestamp plunges us into various environments, allowing us to witness children of varying ages engaging in typical school activities: studying, playing, learning, socializing, and even getting bored.

However, normalcy is hard to find in a nation readying itself for conflict, as Gornostai illustrates the innovative strategies Ukrainians have adopted since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Classes near the front lines are conducted over Zoom, while those situated further away can continue as usual, albeit frequently interrupted by air raid sirens prompting everyone to seek shelter. In one instance, an art teacher has creatively converted a basement into a vibrant studio for his students to learn painting and drawing skills. Meanwhile, an entire subway platform serves as a temporary schoolhouse, equipped with blackboards, desks, and educational resources.

Due to the prolonged nature of the war, the children seem surprisingly unaffected, yet occasionally we notice a child struggling with visible signs of trauma. In a heart-wrenching moment, a young girl enters her school library for a reading session, but quickly falls apart upon encountering a photo of her deceased father among images of fallen soldiers. Moments later, however, she manages to select a book and carry on working. The documentary Timestamp reveals numerous insights during its engrossing two hours, one of which is that children, even those who have endured immense hardships, possess the ability to quickly forget, which helps them persevere.

In war-stricken nations, high school students find themselves preparing for potential military service. They learn skills such as handling firearms and treating wounds – the film’s title signifies the duration a human body can survive without blood – reflecting their grim future of impending combat. Yet amidst this harsh reality, they yearn for normalcy, creating TikTok videos with friends or rehearsing dance performances for their graduation ceremony, which concludes the movie.

Gornostai and cinematographer Alexander Roshchyn skillfully document these instances using beautifully arranged wide-angle shots, whether they’re depicting young children hurriedly making their way to a bomb shelter or teenagers playing basketball in a partially damaged gymnasium. The sweeping, symphonic score by Alexey Shmurak lends an heroic feel to the scenes, as though we are witnessing the emergence of a new nation, reborn like a phoenix from its ruins.

Undeniably, the movie Timestamp carries a strong sense of national pride, evident through scenes depicting students singing patriotic songs or observing moments of silence for fallen heroes, and also in the lessons that teachers impart to them about Ukrainians valiantly standing up against Russian aggression. (It’s worth considering what might be taught in schools on the other side of this conflict.)

Regardless of personal opinion, this form of patriotism is an aspect of a prolonged and destructive conflict that has significantly impacted, and in some cases destroyed, countless lives. Nevertheless, Gornostai’s captivating depiction ultimately conveys hope: the resilience of children who continue to endure despite facing difficult circumstances, and a future where they won’t have to anymore.

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2025-02-20 21:54