Seven short films, each telling a story about the war in Ukraine, come together with cinematic finesse in a single feature titled Animals in War. The choice of animals as a central theme is far from arbitrary, after all, in war, it is not only soldiers and civilians who suffer and die. Destruction spares no living creature caught in its path. Witnessing the devastation that befalls Ukraine through the fate of its animals, and seeing what they endure, mirrors the human experience at the outbreak of war. The way all these destinies converge in dramatic moments, erasing any clear separation between them, makes for a profoundly painful and harsh reality. Wars shake even those far removed from them, forcing them to feel their harsh reality. This is vividly portrayed in Eagle, which follows a sound editor (played by Sean Penn) collaborating remotely with a Ukrainian field technician searching for a quiet spot to film an eagle in flight. The ambient noise grows louder, until its source is revealed: a Russian helicopter. Its engine blasts directly into the editor’s ears, violently shaking him and making him feel like his head will explode.Amid the flames and chaos, the animals’ stories serve as metaphors for the lives of those nearby or sharing the same space. For some, leaving them behind is unbearable; for others, they provide the strength to stay and face whatever comes to the very end. What is remarkable about this collection is the unifying dramatic thread, reinforced by aesthetic choices that blur its realism and soften the harshness of imagination, creating a cinematic work unique in both style and approach. Animals in War is far from an ordinary film; it can only be approached as a powerful cinematic outcry against war and those who ignite it.Kais Kasim