Lithuanian filmmaker Sarunas Bartas’ Frost – a road movie into the heart of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine – has an opening act that could well send you to sleep, with extensive character building, slow-burning and pensive in its execution. But the patient (still awake) viewers will be rewarded with a compelling final act that makes up for what preceded it.

Rokas (Mantas Janciauskas) bravely, if somewhat mysteriously, agrees to volunteer as a driver, and head all the way to war-torn Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid. Convincing his girlfriend Inga (Lyja Maknaviciute) to join him for this lengthy, precarious endeavour, they set off to lend a hand. Stopping off several times along the way to their destination, one night in Poland stands out, with Inga sleeping with Andrei (Andrzej Chyra) and Rokas indulging in a profound conversation with a French journalist (played by Vanessa Paradis) about love, and the sadness that comes with it. Eventually they reach Ukraine, and here their well-intentioned journey is shaken by the danger that looms.

FrostThough the tediously long opening act spends much time allowing the viewer to get to know the two protagonists, it’s quite remarkable really that by the time we reach the closing credits, we don’t feel as though we know them at all, especially Inga, who doesn’t seem to say, nor really think anything at all. Instead it’s some of the supporting roles we grow more attached to, and much of this is down to Bartas’ inclination to allow conversations to play out in length, with one scene in particular between Rokas and two Ukrainian soldiers making for a captivating watch, and the director shoots it all in close-ups, as we focus on nothing but the words, the anecdotes, and the subtle glances between them.

It’s these very scenes which are emblematic of a film that is presented in such a naturalistic manner it’s hard to believe it’s scripted. Such realism gives the dramatic moments even more weight too, and the film is peppered with suspense, with intense sequences that occur every time they must cross a border or have to get past any guards, declaring their intentions to the most sceptical, brutal of soldiers, whose insistence to find out what Rokas and Inga are really up to keeps the viewer perpetually on edge. It’s just a shame we feel so little for the protagonists, as while such moments create a suspense, we don’t feel as emotionally engaged as we should, in spite of their incredible courage.

The lead roles want to also film and show and share their experiences to the world, as it’s a war that is under-represented in mainstream media, with so many questions marks and clouds over exactly what is, and has been going on in Ukraine for such a long time. And so the film is effectively acting on the character’s behalf, giving us an insight seldom seen in cinema, nor even the news – but be warned, before you get to any scenes of this nature, you have to sit through many that don’t seem to serve much of a purpose at all.

Frost is playing at the Transylvania International Film Festival 2017.