Silent Flood

On the idyllic banks of the Dniester, a river in western Ukraine, live the Kashketniki (the Hat-Wearers), a closed religious community that is said to be related to the American Amish. It is a strictly pacifist community, averse to all the conveniences of modern life: there is no electricity, no modern medicine, and the land is cultivated by hand. It is not surprising that the Kashketniki want to keep the outside world at a distance as much as possible. But the outside world pays little heed to this; every year, their homeland is disrupted by river floods, but even more devastating was the “flood” that began in 2022: the invasion by the Russian army.

In this IDFA award-winning documentary, Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk brings this remarkable community to life. He does so through a prologue, three chapters, and an epilogue. He shows that, due to their religious beliefs, the Kashketniki cannot take up arms, but that they are certainly willing to do their part—even if it’s just by baking bread for the weary soldiers.