Everyone considered Sashko a mischief maker, but he dreamed of heroism. One day the boy was invited to act in a movie. Together with the entire film crew, Sashko went on his first expedition. But the war began. The wounded Sashko was rescued and rescued by a peasant woman, and when he recovered, she equipped him for a long journey - home to Kyiv. He reached his hometown, where the Nazis were already in control, and soon, having contacted the partisans, Sashko began to help them.
Acting
Lyonya Babich carries the entire film with genuine childlike determination.
Production
Shot on location in recently liberated Ukrainian territories.
Director
Yevgeni Bryunchugin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during Khrushchev's Thaw, the film subtly softens Stalin-era hero worship while keeping the patriotic message intact.
Director Bryunchugin cast actual Kyiv children who had lived under Nazi occupation; some scenes were their first time processing trauma through play.
SU
