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SEE YOU IN CHECHNYA

By Alexander KVATASHIDZE

Documentary - Completed 2014

When I was 22, I went to war. I went because I was in love. In Georgia in 1999, I met a photographer who was going to photograph the brutal conflict in Chechnya. There I met war reporters for the first time. When going to war, they perhap’s didn’t realise the conflict would return home with them.

- Year of production
- 2014
- Genres
- Documentary
- Countries
- FRANCE, GEORGIA, ESTONIA
- Languages
- ENGLISH, RUSSIAN
- Budget
- 0 - 0.3 M$
- Duration
- 90 mn
- Director(s)
- Alexander KVATASHIDZE
- Writer(s)
- Alexander KVATASHIDZE
- ISAN
- 0000-0003-8B5B-0000-Q-0000-0000-X
- Producer(s)
- Rebecca HOUZEL (Petit à Petit production)
- Synopsis
- When I was 22, I went to war. But I didn’t go to make my career. I went because I was in love. In Georgia in 1999, I met a photographer called Francoise who told me she was going to photograph the notoriously brutal conflict in neighbouring Chechnya. I decided I had to go with her, to protect her. I knew I could be kidnapped or killed, but desire outweighed fear.There I met war reporters for the first time: an exceptional tribe of idealists, battlefield veterans and adventurers who risk their lives and health to report the truth. The interconnected tales of six of these charismatic people, and my friendships with them, form the basis of this film.Ten years later, I made contact again, to find out how the experience affected their lives. Some of them had wanted to become star journalists. Others had wanted to expose human rights violations. One went to Chechnya because he believed that war was romantic.But there were consequences. One was kidnapped and later committed suicide. Others contracted serious illnesses. One was murdered. When going to war, they perhaps didn’t realise the conflict would return home with them. As I reflect on the motives which drove them, I offer an insight into the peculiar psychology of war reporters: contemporary heroes whose business is death.