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Raw Trauma Unfolds in Ukraine's 'A Poem for Little People'

1/20/2026

24 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

'A Poem for Little People' is a film directed by Ivan Sautkin about an evacuation team in Ukraine.
The film shows a woman who initially refuses evacuation because her brother and their dog, then leaves after volunteers promise support.
Sautkin shot the film himself and eschews traditional interviews, exposing raw trauma.
The documentary also features Zinaida, an elderly woman who spies on Russian tanks and reports to the Ukrainian army.

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Story summary

'A Poem for Little People' is a film directed by Ivan Sautkin about an evacuation team in Ukraine.
The film shows a woman who initially refuses evacuation because her brother and their dog, then leaves after volunteers promise support.
Sautkin shot the film himself and eschews traditional interviews, exposing raw trauma.
The documentary also features Zinaida, an elderly woman who spies on Russian tanks and reports to the Ukrainian army.