Three Comrades on AllMovie

Filmmaker Masha Novikova compiles a lovingly crafted cinematic mosaic concerning three lifelong friends whose lives were torn apart by warfare and strife in this deeply personal documentary exploring the historical fall of the Soviet Union and Chechnya's devastating struggle for independence through the eyes of those who were most affected by the violence that followed. As rebellious teens living in the Chechen capitol of Grozny, Islam, Ramzan, and Ruslan would listen to Western rock music as a protest against the Soviet regime as they held endless conversations about movies, girls, and the future. When war broke out in 1994, the lives of all three friends would be forever shattered. By allowing the audience the opportunity to witness these events through the eyes of Islam, presenting the remarkable wartime footage captured by television cameraman Ramzan, and conducting candid interviews with the friends and family of all three, director Novikova relates a compelling tale of friendship and tragedy that proves even the innocent cannot escape the destructive grip of war.