V nebe 'Nochnye vedmy'

It's always a pleasure to watch a war movie where the main protagonists are female soldiers, in a genre's filmography that often exclusively portrays the exploits of men, who are frequently depicted as great fighters, almost superhuman superheroes. This film contributes a small grain of sand to the role that women played in the most disastrous war humanity has experienced. And of course, in the film, the presence of these brave women is evident not only as main characters but above all in the femininity of the narrative. Escaping from the stereotypes of this cinematic genre, here there are no heroines or grand displays of courageous masculinity. It's because the director of the movie is none other than one of the narrative protagonists: the highly decorated Yevgeniya Zhigulenko, who after her service in the Soviet armed forces, studied cinematography in 1976 and directed two significant autobiographical films, this one and "Vorota v nebo" (No Right to Fall) in 1984.

Highly recommended is watching the more recent TV series with the very apt title "Nochnye lastochki" (Night Swallows) from 2013, based on the same squadron of Russian women aviators known for their night bombing capabilities, which dealt significant damage to the invading Germans.

The film is a good production without any standout shortcomings. The performances of the characters are believable, but none particularly stand out. The music, at times quite melancholic, features the famous Brazilian song "Manhã de Carnaval" from 1959 by composer Luiz Bonfá as its leitmotif. This is an unusual choice considering the Russian musical repertoire of the time, but it's an artistic license that nowadays, despite purists' objections, is commonly used in period-setting films.

In summary, it's undoubtedly a film that deserves not to be forgotten. Despite some typical 1980s filmmaking elements, it's important to remember that the film was created during the tumultuous years of the Soviet Union's collapse. For some, it marked significant progress for the Russian people, but for others, like Yevgeniya Zhigulenko who had devoted her youth to defending her country, it meant seeing everything they believed in and fought for vanish.