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Russia's war in Chechnya is a puzzle to most westerners, an obscure but somehow notable conflict appearing periodically on the nightly news. This documentary, which features combat footage shot within Chechnya and interviews with Chechen fighters and civilians, does much to untangle this riddle. The first thing an outsider has to grasp is that any distinction between fighters and civilians is blurred, as the Chechens consider themselves warriors first, and farmers or oil-field workers second. This traditional warrior culture, with its roots grounded in centuries of conflict with Russian adversaries, is deeply entrenched. And it's intensified by the deep Islamic faith of the Chechens, which holds that falling while defending the homeland earns the warrior martyrdom. Much of the footage in this documentary is shot with handheld video gear in the field during actual combat operations, and what it might lack aesthetically is more than made up for with its immediacy and a distinctive atmospheric quality. The warriors profiled, including the Chechen hero Shamil Basayev, are unique characters, and hearing them speak and seeing evidence of some of their exploits provides invaluable insight into the conflict that has become a thorn in the side of modern Russia.
--Robert J. McNamara
Product Description
Bloodied and demoralized, Russian units withdrew from Chechnya in September 1996-a year and a half after it bludgeoned its way into the Chechen capital of Grozny. But the war is far from over. In fact, Chechnya's continuing conflict with Russia is a story that spans centuries.
Award winning Immortal Fortress and its producer/director Dodge Billingsley take the viewer on a dangerous behind-the-scenes journey into Chechnya, exploring the tiny mountain republic's war driven culture while searching for its most popular modern warrior, Shamil Basayev.
After centuries of blood feuds, battle traditions, and resistance to all foreign occupiers, the warrior cult defines Chechen society. Every Chechen man is first a warrior, then a farmer, baker or oil worker. Shamil Basayev personifies this warrior spirit. To Russia and the west he is considered a terrorist, but in Chechnya a hero. His battlefield exploits have become legendary. The surprise attack on the Russian city Budyonnovsk in 1995 and the invasion of western Dagestan in 1999 have brought him international attention.
Immortal Fortress is a riveting look behind the scenes of one of the world's most controversial men, and answers the broader question of why Shamil Basayev and thousands of other Chechens fight.
