Synopsis
BRIEF SUMMARY
'The Assignment' is a film about a German journalist who is in Tbilisi in Georgia for his
television channel to film the atrocities of the recent Georgia Russia war but is kidnapped by
a Chechen rebel and forced to make a documentary of the Chechen war. As a journalist he
has the opportunity to make the greatest film in his life, discover himself and fill the
emptiness that lies within him but at what cost?
PLOT OUTLINE
Some year's back, Chris lost his desire to live after his son died and began to drink. Despite
his alcoholism, Chris, a journalist of the British TV channel "Choice", has a good career. His
wife, Ingrid wants to adopt a child, but Chris is not sure. Chris travels to a refugee camp
outside Tbilisi accompanied by his camera operator Robert to film the refugees living at the
camp. Upon returning to his Tbilisi hotel, Chris accidentally meets Akhmad, a Chechen rebel
who suggests to Chris that he make a film to show the injustices of the Chechen war but
Chris declines as he on his way back to London. On their way to the airport they are
kidnapped by Chechen rebels upon Akhmad's orders and taken to a training camp where
they meet Akhmad once again as he now re-introduces himself as their new producer. They
travel to Chechnya through the Caucuses to support the group headed by Akhmad's father,
Mohammed.
They cross the Chechen Georgian border in the dead of night. They travel through forests
and several destroyed villages and in one such village they are ambushed by Russian
soldiers. In the ensuing firefight Chris kills a Russian soldier.
They arrive at Vakha's house, a former Chechen freedom fighter living near the border with
his granddaughter. Vakha has lost his children in the war. Akhmad leaves behind a large
armaments cache at his house. Chris gradually understands Akhmad's grievances against
the Russians after witnessing the brutality and the destruction caused by them in Chechnya.
When the group arrive at Mohammed's camp, they find it scorched. In his rage, Akhmad
seizes a hospital building in a Chechen village and demands the release of his father. When
he finds out that his father is dead, Akhmad loses control and kills some of the hostages and
demands the return of his father's body and a bus for their getaway. Taking the remaining
hostages with them they board the bus and escape. Upon entering the edge of a forest they
are ambushed and the bus overturns. They leave the hostages in the bus and run into the
forest. Robert, refusing to carry Mohammed’s corpse any longer is shot and killed by
Akhmad. Akhmad and Chris continue running deeper into the forest, but Akhmad
suffering from a fatal gunshot wound dies soon afterwards. Chris films him as he dies and
buries them all.
Exhausted, Chris follows the trail back to the Chechen Georgian border and after some time
arrives back at Vakha's house. Vakha welcomes Chris to his house. Vakha does not
understand English and Chris understands neither Chechen nor Russian. He damns the
war. Chris tells him about how he lost his son.
The Russian militia eager to get hold of Chris' film footage track him to Vakha’s house the
next day. Aizani, Vakha's granddaughter hides Chris in the woods, but the militia find the
hidden ammunition left at the house by Akhmad and Chris' SD cards. Vakha argues with
the soldiers and they kill him. Chris buries Vakha and leaves with Aizani for the Georgian
border.