THE BOYS OF BESLAN

May 25, 2005, the last day of school in Beslan, Russia, celebrated with the Ceremony of the Last Bell. A graduating senior carries a new student who rings a bell for the last time. The school year started on September 1st and was to be no different than any other. Tragically, within 48 hours, those youthful delights would be dashed by death and destruction. Chechen rebels had targeted School #1 in another misguided attempt at bringing attention to their country's plight. They had crafted an intricate plot to take hostage over twelve hundred students, parents and staff in achieve their goals. The plan failed. A huge bomb was detonated by accident and 344 hostages were killed, 172 of them were children. But THE BOYS OF BESLAN is not so much about the slaughter of innocents, but the spirit and resiliency of youth, embodied in the shining faces of young survivors Kazik and Asik. For even as they speak so sadly of the horror they witnessed that dark day in September, there is still the twinkle of hope in their eyes. These brave boys are not dwelling in the past but look firmly toward the future, one that will include, at last ... peace on earth.

(Russia, 2005) Producer: Baikal Films in association with Top Quality Video. Director: Andrey Ivanov. Running time: 47 minutes. Color. Stereo. In Russian with English subtitles. DVD Bonus: Preview, and Trailer.