Experiencing Interruptions?

While the Adults Are Playing War

Nine-year-old Andriusha fled Kyiv one month after the war began. Now in Israel, he attends art therapy sessions where fragments of fear, memory and imagination mix inside his drawings, constructions and games. The film combines intimate documentary moments with expressive animation that visualizes his inner world — from exploding chalks to collapsing toy soldiers. A poetic portrait of a child trying to make sense of a world shattered by war.

  • Katerina Spector
    Director
  • Katerina Spector
    Writer
  • Katerina Spector
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Israel
  • Country of Filming:
    Israel
  • Language:
    Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Katerina Spector

Katerina Spector is an Israeli director and editor whose work spans documentary, narrative, and hybrid filmmaking. A graduate of Seminar HaKibbutzim College, she has created and edited dozens of films and series for major Israeli broadcasters, including KAN, Yes, HOT, and international co-productions with ARTE.
Her documentary “Stains” (Channel 8) premiered at DocAviv and won the Family Film Project Festival in Portugal. Earlier narrative shorts, including “Distances” and “Tea,” screened at the Haifa International Film Festival. As an editor, her credits include “Post Scriptum” (Honorable Mention, DocAviv), “Your Honor, Ambassador” (Jerusalem Film Festival), and the ARTE/KAN documentary series #AMiNORMAL, selected for IDFA.

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Director Statement

This film began with one simple observation: children understand more than they can articulate, especially in times of war. Andriusha, with his humor, imagination and sudden shadows of fear, reveals the inner landscape of a child who has survived the unimaginable.
I wanted to create a space where his voice is heard without forcing him to retell trauma. Art therapy became such a space — a place where he could speak through gestures, games, metaphors and colors. My role was to watch, listen and let his world unfold on its own terms.
The animation in the film does not illustrate the documentary scenes — it expresses what cannot be spoken. It enters the realm of memory, fear, fantasy and the subconscious: places where trauma lives. Through these animated sequences, we see how war infiltrates a child's imagination and reshapes the logic of play.
This film is not only about Ukraine or a single family. It is about every child affected by conflict, displacement and fear — children who often cannot explain what happened to them, yet carry it inside their bodies and drawings.
I hope this film helps audiences see children not as silent witnesses of war, but as individuals whose inner worlds deserve attention, protection and healing.