Air (Воздух)

Hurry up!

I can’t hear…

Fire! One!

Leningrad Front, Route No. 102 "The Road of Life", Spring 1942

Get down!

Mom! Mom!

Get down, Misha! Hide!

- Mommy! - Mommy, wake up!

Come on, Andrey! Faster!

My darlings!

Let’s go! Let’s go!

Daddy!

Dad!

Daddy! Daddy!

AIR

LENINGRAD FRONT, AIRFIELD, SPRING 1942

Poor Zharikov. The dog, I lost a guide.

You didn’t explain it to him, but this has happened before.

I told him.

- How much do the Germans fly in school? - A lot.

The Poles, French, and English too.

But our guys, hardly anything.

They know how to take off and land.

Before the front, they barely fired, not even at a cone.

Then you need to improve the training.

Or you’ll end up in a court-martial. Did you understand, Vas?

Understood...

Almost everyone is new, what can I do?

Only we are veterans.

I can’t even assess the losses.

Why do the girls come here?

They’d be better off in the kitchen, or anywhere…

They’re not just pilots, but mechanics too.

But why?

They should be giving birth, braiding their hair, and instead, they’re here.

She’s a plank...

just look at her.

- What, Timofey? - We’re not any better looking either.

But, if there’s no horse..?

Second company.

Good day.

So be it.

You’ll cook and wash for us, and sing for us,

- to boost our morale. - Cook for yourself, fool.

- We’ll fight in your place. - Dream on, huh?

What else are girls good for? Surely not flying?

Yes, flying!

Do you think a man flies better? Well, he doesn’t.

Of course, he does.

Do you know that song?

“Speak without pain, without longing”

Can you play it too?

Do you play as well as you sing?

"Reflected by chance..."

You’re all big and heavy. The planes can’t handle you.

And I’m no worse.

- Maybe even better. - Do you think you’re soldiers?

When the empress's ladies-in-waiting got married,

- they left service. - Where did you get that from?

They were prostitutes, and we are soldiers, clear?

- Don’t be rude! - Hear that? You don’t be rude.

- How do you talk to a girl? - You’re hysterical, especially you!

- Go on! - No respect.

Relax!

But why girls…

Regiment! Line up!

- Good day! - Strength and health!

Attention! Stand to!

Look left!

Comrade Lieutenant Colonel!

At your command, the regiment is fully assembled.

Captain Bondar, chief of staff.

Good day, comrades!

Strength and health, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel!

I welcome the female pilots to our regiment.

Hurrah!

- At ease. - At ease!

In the coming days, you will undergo combat training

and study the terrain of the area.

Afterward, you will begin combat missions,

which ensure the transport routes

across Lake Ladoga.

It won’t be easy!

There will be losses.

But we won’t retreat.

Leningrad is under siege.

The city is evacuating children, women, and the elderly.

The city needs supplies and food.

The pilots and mechanics, all girls, must prove their skills,

their courage, and their self-sacrifice.

You won’t cry, will you?

Because I really don’t like crying.

Not at all, comrade lieutenant colonel!

I punish rule violations.

Cowardice will be tried by court-martial.

Any questions?

No, comrade lieutenant colonel!

Alright. No questions. Let’s go.

So, this one will be mine.

- There? - Yes, possibly.

The further beds, so the draft doesn’t get you.

There are nightstands, too.

Zhenya, not so close to the window.

Girls! Gymnast salute!

No knocking, like you’re at home?

Why a gymnast?

He’s chubby, he'll be a dumpling when he’s old.

- Small but brave. - Give him a smack.

Can we properly introduce ourselves?

Because this turned out awkward.

I think it’s great that the girls are flying.

- I’m Marika Dolidze. - Tymofey. From Georgia?

My grandfather served in Tiflis. He drank Chucha or Pucha.

Chacha. Yes, from Georgia.

- Tymofey. - Hello.

- Tymofey. - Sveta Frolova.

Anya Savelyeva.

- Tymofey. - Masha.

- Zhenya Belova. - Tymofey.

- Valya Chumakova. - Tymofey.

- Katya. - Tymofey.

Girls, will you forgive us?

By the way, if someone plays an instrument, they can play

what’s left from the third squadron.

Where’s the third squadron?

It no longer exists.

Good night.

Hand me my comb, please.

Goodbye.

He seems nice, doesn’t he?

At least he’s not mean.

I like him.

Careful.

Why are you putting everything here?

Let me see what’s broken and what’s not.

- You were right. - Got a clarinet?

No.

Want me to try it on you?

As you say.

Go ahead. Here you go.

I’ll just watch, okay?

That’s too much.

Alright.

- Are you watching too? - Yes, I am.

Oh my god.

- Does it hurt? - It’s fine.

- Endure it. I handled it, now you endure it too. - It’s broken.

That’s enough!

Stop. Done. I’ll take care of it.

- The pipe’s bent too. - She’ll kill me.

- Can it be fixed? - I don’t know.

- We’ll have to see. - Get to it then!

- Check the radiator! - The engine needs disassembling!

- Drain the water! - They’ve totally neglected it.

Aren’t they ashamed?

The problem isn’t the radiator, it’s the oil line.

Oil is leaking there, open your eyes.

I’m an optimist. It can only get better!

I’m not afraid of anything!

Masha, did you live well in Moscow?

Did you have your own apartment or a shared one?

- Our own. - You should be a reporter...

Long hallways, small rooms, a big kitchen...

The only bad thing was the window facing the firewall. The table was big.

As a kid, I used to steal salt and lick it off my fingers underneath.

- Sorry, Natasha... - I stole sugar. - I stole salt.

Aren’t you sitting on a little book?

We had seven people in one house.

Seven?

All around...

All around steppe, no one and nothing. Everything gray.

Ah, here it is! Thanks.

The postman would drop by sometimes. Drunk, with crazy eyes.

He said he was a general, and I believed him.

I wanted to get away, but I couldn’t.

Masha, why did you join the war?

You lived well, unlike us. Your whole family is fine.

Why “why”? How many of our people died?

My mom and dad cried. And I volunteered.

They gave me a huge, men's uniform, big boots.

I used to wear shoes, now boots.

Then we boarded the train, singing on our way to training.

"Goodbye Moscow, dear one"

"We will fight the enemy in battle"

"Goodbye, sweet little girl"

"Write me letters and think of me."

Hey! Hey! Get out of here! This is our plane!

- Calm down! Hands off! - Wait, what are you doing?

These are our planes!

These are our planes! Whose orders?

- Can’t hear you! - We have orders! And you?

- Attention! - I said, calm down!

- Why are you yelling at me?! - Attention!

At ease! What’s the problem?

Comrade Bondar, why are they touching our planes?

The decision is,

to temporarily hand over your planes to more experienced pilots.

There are too few planes, and you're not ready yet,

but patrols must be intensified.

Comrade captain, but they’re our planes. Is that allowed?