Together Alone

Ukraine is a poverty-stricken country. A large proportion of the population, including five million children, lives in extreme poverty. Together Alone is a shrill, and quietly observing documentary on the lives of two children living in a shelter. The mother of twelve-year-old Christian is in jail and before joining the shelter, he was living on the street. Tetyana turned fifteen and must leave. Together Alone shows that life in a Ukrainian shelter is grim. Children sleep four to a room and have barely any possessions. There is not enough money to celebrate the birthdays of individual children. Still, for many of the children the shelter is a major improvement compared to their life outdoors. Their parents cannot care for them; they are either dead, in prison, or otherwise unable to look after their children. We follow Christian Koshelya and Tetyana Medvid. Christian has just arrived at the shelter: he was living on the street because his mother was in jail. Because of her age, Tetyana must leave the shelter. She hopes to work in a sewing factory one day, just like her sister.