Swear To Me

Incoming Editorial Team·Verified October 28, 2026

Vasyl lives in a remote Carpathian village, where he bears responsibility for the household and helps his mother with traditional coverlets fulling. One evening, his younger brother Ivan arrives unexpectedly at the family home. Ivan is a gay soldier who, before being deployed to a front-line position, wishes to discuss his last will. In the event of his death, he asks to be cremated by his partner in Kyiv, rather than laid to rest in the village soil where he was never truly accepted. This request stands in direct opposition to local traditions. Vasyl finds himself torn between honoring his brother’s final wish and conforming to what is considered morally and culturally right.