A Harvest Truce

Brothers Anton and Tolik return to bury their mother. But Russia’s war and the activities of the separatists turn this mundane task into a logistical and ideological challenge. The brothers and other village residents have to overcome isolation and a lack of light and water. The only fragile hope for a ceasefire is the so-called harvest truce.

Zhadan skillfully weaves the rhythms of life—birth, death, planting, harvesting—into a reality where war devalues them. What should be sacred becomes insignificant, and the play’s characters must fight the war’s dehumanizing impact.

And so A Harvest Truce is more than just a family story; it is a mirror that reflects the cost of war and the resilience of those who experience it.