9TH COMPANY aka 9-YA ROTA

Year: 2006
UK: Contender Entertainment Group
Cast: Fyodor Bondarchuk, Aleksei Chadov, Mikhail Evlanov, Ivan Kokorin
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk
Countries: Finland / Russia / Ukraine
Language: Russian (English subtitles)
UK: 130 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong battle violence and language
UK Release Date: 16 February 2007

Synopsis

The Russian nomination for Best Foreign Film at the 2007 Academy Awards and post-communist Russia's highest grossest film to date, 9TH COMPANY is a stirring and extremely timely modern day war movie on a par with Hollywood blockbusters such as FULL METAL JACKET and PLATOON.

Based on real events that devastatingly culminated on 8 January 1989 on the Djardan "3234" Heights of Afghanistan, 9TH COMPANY follows the ill-fated fortunes of a small group of young Soviet soldiers, from the trials of boot camp to their arrival in the heart of the war zone and the climactic, bloody battle that made them heroes.

An epic in every sense of the word - over 1,500 extras were employed during the filming of the movie's impressively realistic battle sequence set-pieces - the film is a technical triumph, featuring superlative acting performances, exceptional cinematography and a truly frightening 20 minute final sequence that illustrates in terrifying detail the true horrors of modern day warfare. Drawing obvious parallels to numerous conflicts occurring around the globe today, 9TH COMPANY is a tense, powerful and tragically topical war film that demands to be seen.