Shindisi is a Georgian feature film that tells the true story of the Russian ambush of a caravan of Georgian soldiers and civilians traveling in a peace corridor. Several villagers from Shindisi risked their lives to shelter and care for the survivors while under constant threat from the Russian occupying forces.
Russia’s incursions into Ukraine are all over the news in the United States, but we hear much less about the fact that they did the same thing to Georgia. Russia now occupies 20% of Georgia, after going to war with them in 2008. Near the end of the war, Russia promised a protected corridor to allow safe passage out of the combat-heavy territories. Yet, Russian forces ambushed a military unit in the safe zone, setting in motion the events of the film.
“…villagers from Shindisi risked their lives to shelter and care for the survivors while under constant threat from the Russian occupying forces.”
Even though Shindisi is an independent film on a small budget, it manages to stage a thoroughly compelling all-out battle between Georgian and Russian forces involving heavy machine-gun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, and a tank. Director Dito Tsintsadze puts us right in the middle of the action of soldiers being pinned down, running for cover, and being wounded and killed senselessly.
There is no Hollywoodifcation of this battle, wherein each side would be wearing different colors, or heroes step up at the last minute to save the day. Instead, realism prevails, which makes it so much more immersive. Both sides are wearing camouflage. At times it is confusing, and people who run into the line of fire to try to save their fellow soldiers are just as likely to be gunned down as they are to survive. This is a massacre.
"…there is no Hollywoodifcation of this battle..."
