Grozny Blues (2015): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2015, Grozny Blues is a history and documentary film directed by Nicola Bellucci, running about 104 minutes.

What it’s about. «Grozny Blues» follows a few people around Grozny, the capital of war-torn Chechnya where daily life is defined by political repression, constricting customs, forced Islamification and the failure to come to terms with recent history. The film revolves around four women who have been fighting for human rights under worsening conditions for many years but get more and more disillusioned with the situation in Putin’s Russia. The building where they work is also home to a Blues Club that is frequented by a group of young people. Having only vague memories of the Chechen wars in the 90s, they try to make sense of the strange things that are happening in their country. In linking the personal and intimate to the political, Nicola Bellucci shows in a dramatic and yet very poetic way what it means to live in a divided society that navigates a no-man’s land between war and peace, repression and freedom, archaic traditions and modern life.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, Grozny Blues has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Grozny Blues page.

If you liked it. Fans of Grozny Blues tend to enjoy Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge and Green Book.