Since September I have been wanting to go to Kyiv

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Berlin filmmaker and author Jelena Jeremejewa was visiting her family in Kyiv at the war's onset. In her journal, she reflects on the early days of conflict, her escape, and the fears shared by her family and friends. Aware of the differing perspectives between Germans/Western Europeans and Ukrainians, she aims to convey the Ukrainian viewpoint. The diary spans from mid-February to early May. On February 16, 2022, she expresses her long-held desire to visit Kyiv, which had been thwarted by various life events. Finally ready to go home, she boards a somber flight filled with a few German journalists who manage to find humor in their surroundings. Upon arrival, her brother greets her, and she is enveloped by the familiar February air, which feels both fresh and nostalgic. The language of her homeland wraps around her like a comforting blanket, evoking a sense of safety. As people reunite with loved ones, the atmosphere is filled with flowers, signs, and taxi calls, creating a scene of both joy and tension amid the looming crisis. The traffic jam across the Dnipro symbolizes the stillness of life in her hometown, a poignant reminder of where she comes from.