Alexandra 2008

Aleksandra Nikolaevna is invited by her grandson, Denis, a senior lieutenant (Stárshiy Leytenánt) in the Russian Army, to visit his military base in Chechnya. A small circle of soldiers is assigned to escort her, turning a family visit into a delicate point of contact in a land that feels almost lawless. Not long after they part ways with two carefree young conscripts at the station, they are attacked, a sharp reminder of the danger that threads through the region and the fragile sense of safety surrounding the journey.

Upon reaching the army camp, Aleksandra is led to her grandson’s platoon area and told to wait. The heat is sweltering, and the tents offer little relief, so she chooses to wander rather than sit. As she moves among the young soldiers, many remain distant at first, their guarded faces softened only when she shares a few pies, a simple gesture that breaks the initial frost and opens small conversations. Denis returns, and they embrace with a warmth that speaks to shared memories and a hope for something ordinary amid the tension. The base’s commanding officer gives a tour and questions her purpose for visiting, noting that Denis is a capable officer and that her request, while unusual, is understandable in its own way.

The following day, Aleksandra decides to leave the cantonments to visit the local market, despite warnings from the guards. The market is tense, and she quickly notices how hostility can flare toward Russians in this place. Yet she gradually finds kind voices among strangers, including an elderly Chechen woman named Malika who once taught before the war. Malika explains how deeply the fighting has altered the lives of the locals and shares cigarettes and biscuits with Aleksandra, inviting her to her war-ravaged apartment where they drink tea and talk. The conversation reveals a nuanced picture of endurance and loss, and Aleksandra promises to return and repay the kindness. A local boy helps her return to the base; their exchange begins with suspicion but turns toward a more tempered understanding when Aleksandra asserts that people cannot be boxed into labels, and that intelligence and empathy matter more than fear.

Back at the base, Aleksandra distributes the cigarettes and biscuits she brought, a small act of generosity that resonates with the soldiers. Some of them lead her to a mess where she receives a hot meal, a rare moment of comfort. In Denis’s quarters, she finds her grandson contemplating the weight of his decisions after having to discipline a disobedient soldier. Their conversation turns reflective: Aleksandra expresses a longing to live more fully despite her advancing age, and Denis responds with a rare quiet joy, plaiting his grandmother’s hair as they share a moment of connection that feels both intimate and hopeful. She even suggests she might find him a wife, a thought that brings a flicker of amusement and tenderness to the room.

The next morning arrives with a sense of urgency. Denis wakes Aleksandra to tell her she must leave soon because he and his men are embarking on a five-day mission. She begins gathering her things, taking a final walk through the camp to say goodbye to the soldiers she has met. At the gate, she shares a heartfelt farewell with Denis as he climbs onto an armored vehicle, while his commanding officer silently acknowledges the positive impact her visit has had on the unit and on Denis’s outlook.

Aleksandra then returns to the town, where she reunites with Malika and her friends. Refusing any payment for the cigarettes and biscuits, she walks with them back toward the armored train. She hands Malika her address, inviting the Chechen woman to visit her in Russia, a bridge offered between two worlds. Boarding a rolling car, she watches the train begin its slow departure, waving from the doorway as the landscape of Chechnya stretches into the distance. Malika lingers with a faint, grim expression, as Aleksandra’s view shifts to the desolate fields that lie beyond, the journey refracted through the quiet courage of an elderly woman who chose connection over retreat.