Intercepted (2024)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
For those who can stay with the film’s singular focus, Intercepted offers a uniquely fascinating look at the construct of war.
From straight-up hatred to fear to trepidation and aggression, Intercepted uses the voices of Russian soldiers in private conversations to show both the humanity and depravity of conflict.
I have never seen anything like this. It’s harrowing, unpredictable, and haunting.
NO
This is 90 minutes of listening to Russian phone calls while looking at images from a war-torn Ukraine. Stripped of vanity or sensationalism, the intent is specifically to force you to pay attention. For some, this concept may cause people to run out of patience somewhat quickly.
For Russian viewers, the film is not exactly in your corner.
Though this is a documentary, the film is somewhat reminiscent to last year’s Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest - using rather unconventional methods to show the horrors of war. If you were not a fan of that film’s approach, you are likely not going to be an audience who will appreciate Intercepted.
OUR REVIEW
Should someone stumble upon Intercepted, a stunning documentary by Ukrainian filmmaker Oksana Karpovych, you may wonder just what it is you are watching. Essentially, the concept is a simple one: show images from everyday life in present-day Ukraine, while Russian soldiers are heard in voiceover making phone calls to loved ones back home.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the world was knocked off-kilter. As of November 2024, this chapter remains intense, with major implications for what may come next following the 2024 United States presidential election. And though Presidents Biden and President-Elect Trump are not mentioned specifically in the film, they cast a long shadow at what we hear, see, and take in from Karpovych’s daring and groundbreaking film.
After an introduction, we immediately understand what Intercepted will be. Images and scenes of a war-torn Ukraine are shown to us, while Russian soldiers’ phone calls are played over what we are watching. From March to November 2022, Ukrainian officials intercepted numerous phone calls made by Russians to spouses and family members. We never know what we will hear next. Some justify the invasion. Others disparage the Ukrainian people. Hate and bigotry walk side-by-side with anxiety and worry.
In more poignant moments, some soldiers start to wonder what this escalation of war is actually about, questioning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision-making and rationale. In one call, as a soldier wrestles with what he has seen and experienced, a mother encourages him to keep fighting and essentially cuts off his need to talk through his conflicting emotions. He capitulates and the call soon ends.
While some may grow bored with this presentation, it is hard to not become intrigued by what the next call may bring. Karpovych is clinical in the shots and B-roll she shows us, often juxtaposing intense audio soundbites with a stillness and melancholy that is striking in its contrast and vivid in presentation.
Never exploitative - there is no graphic violence or shocking war footage to sit through - Intercepted is as quiet and somber as it is devastating. So often in war, we forget about the human cost, the toll that war can inflict on soldiers who get swept up in both extremes - the adrenaline of the fight or the questioning of the cause. In Karpovych’s brave, visceral and fascinating film, we are left to see, hear, and feel the impact of war in ways seldom, if ever experienced.
CAST & CREW
Documentary.
Director: Oksana Karpovych
Written by: Oksana Karpovych
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Grasshopper Film