The Distant Barking of Dogs

The Distant Barking of Dogs (Olegs krig) is a 2017 documentary film produced by Monica Hellström, and directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont. The film, set in Hnutove near Mariupol, follows the life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg throughout a year during the War in Donbass. Through Oleg's perspective, the film examines what it means to grow up in a war zone.

The film premiered at the 2017 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, where it won the IDFA Competition for First Appearance.

The family documented in the film subsequently fled following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

Synopsis
THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS is set in Eastern Ukraine on the frontline of the war. The film follows the life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg (Oleh) throughout a year, witnessing the gradual erosion of his innocence beneath the pressures of war. Oleg lives with his beloved grandmother, Alexandra (Oleksandra), in the small village of Hnutove, Donetsk Oblast. Having no other place to go, Oleg and Alexandra stay and watch as others leave the village. Life becomes increasingly difficult with each passing day, and the war offers no end in sight.

Cast

 * Oleg Afanasyev
 * Alexandra Ryabichkina
 * Jarik

Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews.

Awards
The Distant Barking of Dogs won a Peabody Award in the Documentary category. It was 1 of 15 films shortlisted for the 2019 91st Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category. The documentary won the award of 2017 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam for Best First Appearance. It was also among five nominations for the best documentary at 2018 31st European Film Awards. In January 2019 The Distant Barking of Dogs won the prize of the Cinema Eye Honors.