„For the first time in my life I have such a journey.“ explains an old woman. Together with those who are ill or alone, who can no longer walk or see, she sits on a train that is supposed to take her out of the war and to safety. „As long as this is not your last journey. That’s all that matters,“ she’s told.

Even beyond the front line, Russian war pervades Ukraine, reshaping the daily lives of the population through its violent omnipresence. As a response to these challenges, new structures of care are emerging within society: the elderly, single and immobile people are evacuated; improvised shelters and infirmaries are set up; escape routes are collectively organized; corpses are recovered, so that they can be identified and delivered to their relatives. Amidst all the efforts, moments of despair arise: Who will be left behind? Which families will be torn apart? When will it all end? How can we ever recover?

As a contemporary document, DEAR BEAUTIFUL BELOVED looks at survival strategies when the state of emergency has become routine. In doing so, it creates visibility for the moments of solicitude, systems of care-work and the continuous attempts to protect lives and return dignity to the people from whom it was violently taken. Unvarnished and unforgiving, but honest and hopeful, DEAR BEAUTIFUL BELOVED documents this tireless work, which must never become a normality.