Once in the Desert

A Syrian War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, led by Captain Shaberov (Aleksandr Robak), targets ISIS militants while preparing Palmyra for a symbolic concert of the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra. The team must clear the ancient city and surrounding roads of explosives one kilometer at a time as tensions grow between their young captain and experienced sapper, Makarsky (Aleksandr Metelkin). Despite their differences, when the team falls into an ambush and the Captain goes missing, it's Makarsky who sets out to search for him. The film brings together the threads of storytelling in a poignant and sad way.