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Kateryna Hantseva’s short documentary Am I Ukrainian Enough? explores national identity through the prism of language and linguistics, in the context of the Ukrainian War

The story may sound conventional: a young refugee – riddled with doubts, nostalgia and doubts – returns home. Diary-like narration blended with symbolic images create a personal, even intimate atmosphere. The audience gets to be a part of her world, one where everything has changed yet it still boasts some sense of security. Comfort comes mostly from the maternal figures. Grandma speaks Surzhyk while mum refuses to speak Russian, the language of the oppressor. Such linguistic acts of resistance are entirely justified. These small gestures are very poignant, and perhaps the only weapon many of these people possess.

Hantseva finds beauty in the detail: a hand cutting vegetables, a rusty television, a derelict wall and window, pegs hanging loosely on a clothes line, hearty soup, etc. The static camera works well for storytelling purposes. This presentation could be compared to a museum. Objects are presented, and yet we are not allowed to interact with them. There is no music, and the soundscape is entirely natural. Hantseva ascertains: life continues to blossom despite the horrors.

Unfortunately, it is unclear where Hantseva stands and why. She tells us how at times she does not want to let people know about her ability to speak Russian. Yet, this is the main language in which she communicates. By the end of the film, Hantseva concludes that people in Kharkiv embrace their Ukrainian identity despite the language they choose to speak. Such idealism is a little naive. She raises the question: “is she Ukrainian enough?” to no conclusive answer, thereby suggesting latent feelings of guilt and shame. As a result, the final message of the movie is somewhat muddled.

Am I Ukrainian Enough? shows in the PÖFF Shorts section of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. This review was written as part of the Film Review Workshop conducted on November 9th, 2025.