Logline:
When a young Russian conscript is ordered to execute a Ukrainian civilian, he instead turns his rifle on his own commander—setting off a harrowing descent into betrayal, survival, and a battle for truth as he joins a secret resistance movement and becomes a hunted symbol of defiance.

SYNOPSIS:

Dmitri Sokolov, 19, is a soft-spoken history student forcibly conscripted into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Idealistic and loyal to his country, he quickly learns that the war is built on lies. His breaking point comes in a freezing barn outside Kherson, where he’s ordered to execute a captured Ukrainian farmer in front of the unit. The man, bloodied but defiant, simply says: “My son’s the boy you met.” With his hands trembling, Dmitri disobeys—and shoots his commanding officer instead.

This moment, captured on bodycam and leaked online, turns Dmitri into a ghost: a traitor, a hero, a myth. Pursued by both Russian kill teams and NATO skeptics, he finds unlikely refuge in a network of Ukrainian farmers, defectors, and foreign journalists. As he documents war crimes and aids civilian evacuations, his presence forces uncomfortable questions within Russia and abroad.

Haunted by the people he couldn’t save and the family he left behind, Dmitri is pulled toward a dangerous goal: reaching a war crimes tribunal in The Hague with evidence that could shake the Kremlin. But the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he’s being hunted—not just by soldiers, but by a state terrified of the truth.

Dramatic Hooks & Themes:

• Flawed Hero: Dmitri is no saint—he’s impulsive, wracked with guilt, and barely holding it together. But his conscience propels him into action, making his journey emotionally combustible.

• Inciting Incident That Echoes: The barn execution scene becomes a flashpoint, replayed and debated on state and independent media, symbolizing the soul of the war.

• High Stakes: Dmitri is hunted by GRU assassins who see his defection as a threat to morale. He also faces suspicion from those he’s trying to help.

• Trial or Testimony? A looming question: will he live long enough to testify before a war tribunal? And if he does—will anyone listen?

• Thematic Depth: War Pigs is a searing indictment of authoritarianism, blind nationalism, and the power of individual conscience in the face of monstrous systems.

Why It Works: War Pigs combines a timely, real-world backdrop with a propulsive character-driven narrative. It offers a gripping entry point into the horrors of modern warfare through the eyes of a single, fractured soul—making it both intimate and epic. In a climate of rising disinformation and global conflict, this story reminds us that truth, though fragile, can still shatter empires.

WAR PIGS