The year is 2018. Ukrainian war veteran Serhiy Zinchuk returns home to his family after serving three years in the army. He and his wife, Nadiia, have three sons -Sasha, Artem, and Nikita (aged 11, eight and three respectively). It’s Serhiy’s birthday, and his sons wake him up in order to celebrate the occasion. Sasha gives him a chocolate bar, while Artem gifts him a handmade card. Nadiia prepares breakfast in the kitchen.

Thus begins a film about what it’s like to be a father who has been through war. This is the feature debut of Ukrainian director Lesia Diak, whose previous short film, Under the Wing of the Night (2023), also explored family relationships where the father had gone to war. The director is deeply concerned with the situation of Ukrainian men who, after going to the front, do not see their families for years. The heart of the film lies in late-night conversations between Serhiy and Lesya over a cup of tea, with Lesia often appearing on camera. She is haunted by her past romantic relationship with a volunteer paramedic who went to war and cut off contact with her. he film’s central theme emerges through these conversations: can a man who has been through war still be a normal father and husband?Serhiy asks Lesia rhetorical questions: “Can you love someone who’s been through war or prison?”.

He says that on the battlefield, everyone sees blood. In peacetime, the same sight has the power to break them. Serhiy tries to be a good father and husband, spending time with his sons and helping Nadiia in the kitchen. However, he suffers from PTSD, unable to taste food and requiring abundant alone time: “On the front, you’re never alone”, he explains. Everything changes when the family welcomes the birth of a daughter.

Dad’s Lullaby is not just a reflection on fatherhood during wartime, but also a broader commentary on the situation in Ukraine, where war seeps into people’s homes, and children grow up in fear, watching horrific war videos on YouTube. Serhiy’s children constantly play war, which drives Nadiia to frustration. While the film focus is on Serhiy’s inner battle to reintegrate into family life, it also touches on the larger, often unspoken, struggles of military families in Ukraine. The children’s fixation with war games serves as a poignant reminder of how deeply the conflict permeates everyday life, shaping not just the soldiers but also the next generation. The tension between the innocence of childhood and the harshness of war is the film’s most affecting undercurrent.

What sets Dad’s Lullaby apart from other wartime documentaries is its quiet, observational style. Rather than relying on dramatic confrontations or action, the film explores the subtle family dynamics, with conflicting emotions simmering just beneath the surface. Serhiy’s struggle with PTSD is portrayed in a restrained yet powerful way: moments of silence and isolation speak louder than words.

Ultimately, Dad’s Lullaby is a quiet, reflective film that asks difficult questions about the long-lasting effects of war on families. It offers neither easy answers nor a tidy resolution. How do you fully reconnect with loved ones once you left part of your soul on the battlefield? A deeply human film that stays with you, urging empathy and understanding.

Dad’s Lullaby was premiered at Sarajevo Film Festival and now will be shown on DocLisboa.