Intercepted

Russian soldiers call home to their mothers, sisters and partners from the battlefields of Ukraine. They never mention where they are—because somebody could be listening in. The soldiers talk about the villages and towns they plunder, the prisoners they torture, the corpses they see. On the other end of the line we hear sobbing, or cheers ... or just silence.  

The Ukrainian intelligence service has intercepted thousands of phone calls since Russia’s massive invasion of the country. Intercepted shares some of the conversations that were tapped from March to November 2022. While the Russian soldiers tell their stories and seek support from their loved ones back home, the images we see bear witness to both the devastation they have wreaked and the unyielding determination of ordinary Ukrainians to continue their daily lives among the ruins. While the extended static shots are crystal clear and serene, the short conversations are jumbled and intense. It’s a disturbing combination—one that evokes the sinister psychology of war.

With introduction by film journalist Hugo Emmerzael