Anatomy of Obedience

A deeply religious Ukrainian family lives in a small German town. Yurii, a 25-year-old veterinarian, struggles with his faith and his authoritarian father, Yevhen, yet still lives at home. The conflict escalates after Yevhen forbids his daughter from attending sex education classes and is imprisoned following a public protest. After his release, convinced Europe has lost its moral values, he moves the family to Vylkove, a remote town in southern Ukraine, seeking “spiritual purity.”

Yurii stays in Germany, hoping to escape his father’s control, but loneliness eventually brings him back. In Vylkove, isolated from the modern world, Yevhen descends into religious fanaticism and violence. Yurii becomes the village veterinarian and tries to protect his mother and sister.

The story culminates when his mother goes into premature labor. Despite being rejected by his father, Yurii intervenes and helps deliver his newborn sister, bringing new life into the world while losing his mother.