Come and See

Set in 1943 during World War II, the Nazi occupation of Belarus intensifies as partisans operate from the woods and civilians are drawn into conflict. The period is marked by aerial bombings, local collaboration, and brutal reprisals that devastate rural communities.

The story unfolds across the occupied Belarusian countryside, shifting between dense forests that shelter partisan camps, foggy bogs, and a burning village. The forest serves as a harsh, survival-driven backdrop where civilians are drawn into warfare, and the village of Perekhody appears as a grim focal point of violence. The terrain's isolation amplifies fear, concealment, and the brutal consequences of occupation.

⚔️ War Brutality

The summary depicts the indiscriminate violence of occupation and frontline fighting. Civilians witness bombings, executions, and mass killings, including a church massacre that destroys a community. The film uses these scenes to reveal war’s dehumanizing effect on both victims and soldiers. It presents brutality as an omnipresent force that disrupts ordinary life.

🌪️ Trauma & Innocence

Flyora’s journey from a curious boy to a war-worn survivor traces the loss of childhood innocence. He grapples with guilt after his family’s death and the violence he witnesses, even contemplating suicide at a bog’s edge. Glasha’s fragility and the surrounding chaos highlight how war fractures mental stability. The film links visual brutality with inner turmoil, creating lasting psychological trauma.

🛡️ Resistance & Survival

The forest functions as a sanctuary for partisans and a space for resourceful survival. Flyora and companions endure raids, food raids, and evasive maneuvers, illustrating the moral compromises of resistance. The film emphasizes resilience in the face of atrocity, showing how communities persist even as violence closes in.