A carefree young American college student gains a new appreciation for life when she is caught up in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

SYNOPSIS:

Treatment:

Rachel Weiss and Kalyna* Roznikov, both early 20s, travel by overnight train from Warsaw to Kyiv. Before boarding, they make a video for Rachel’s social media; Rachel met Kalyna in Italy, while traveling around Europe on a Eurail pass. Kalyna has persuaded Rachel to include Ukraine in her visit.

The girls arrive in Kyiv the next morning and meet Kalyna’s parents, Stepan and Milena. Rachel’s next video relates that she is going to visit Babi Yar tomorrow because none of her parent’s friends will forgive her if she doesn’t.

* Kalyna is a common girl’s name in Ukraine, a symbol of youthful beauty and female passion in Slavic cultures, the Ukrainian word for a flowering shrub similar to the North American crab-apple, and a Ukrainian nationalistic symbol. A popular patriotic Ukrainian song is: “Oi u Luzi Chervona Kalyna” (“Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow”), first published in 1875 and updated in 1914. Singing the song was harshly punished by Soviet authorities, and is harshly punished in Russian-occupied Ukraine today.

The next morning, Rachel and Kalyna visit the Babi Yar monument. As a guide explains the story, a “flashback scene” depicts the first of several hundred thousand people—in this case, Jews from Kyiv—being machine-gunned and buried dead or wounded into a ravine. In her imagination, Rachel and her parents are in the first line of victims, seeing the machine guns at the moment they start blasting.

In Rachel’s next video from the Roznikov home, she expresses her shock that anyone could kill even one innocent person, much less hundreds of thousands of people.

The next morning, Thursday, February 24, 2022, Rachel hears some big explosions, which she assumes are from an industrial accident. Rachel assures her parents, Eric and Andrea, that she is safe, and promises to send out another video message if she hears any more news.

Wednesday night in California, Eric and Andrea Weiss, Rachel’s parents, social media alerts them about the Russian invasion. They frantically watch and rewatch Rachel’s video.

The morning after President Zelensky and other leading Ukrainian government leaders make a night-time video announcing that combat is not occurring in Kyiv, Rachel persuades Kalyna to explore the city with her. It is February 25, 2022. However, Stepan and Milena insist on going with them, so they stay together as a family. They borrow a bicycle from a neighbor for Rachel and ride toward downtown Kyiv. They stop when they hear gunfire; a passer-by tells them that Ukrainian troops have encircled a Russian sabotage team near the government center. As they return home, they encounter Ukrainian soldiers recruiting volunteers for the Territorial Defense Forces. Stepan considers joining, but Milena persuades him to wait until they can discuss this at home.

While Milena and Stepan debate, Kalyna enters the room in her nursing uniform. Until this moment, Rachel did not know Kalyna is a trained nursing aide. Kalyna announces she is going to the nearest hospital to volunteer. Stepan and Milena urge her to wait; the streets are still too dangerous. “You could be shot at any minute!” Stepan warns Kalyna. “Papa,” replies Kalyna, “You could be shot at any minute!” “At least, I’ll already be at a hospital,” she argues.

Seeing Kalyna dressed to leave, Rachel dresses to go with her. Unable to tell Rachel that leaving home is too dangerous, and thus lose her argument with her parents, Kalyna leads Rachel—hand in hand—to a hospital. Soon, Rachel is wearing a borrowed uniform, working alongside Kalyna.

Milena is assisting a group of civilians assembling Molotov Cocktails. Stepan is using his army training and engineering experience to repair broken rifles. He hands a repaired rifle to an assistant for a test-firing.

Kalyna asks Rachel how is she holding up. Rachel admits that she has seen so many innocent people die, she wonders if she will soon become insensitive to death; it has become so commonplace.

Kalyna asks Rachel why she doesn’t want to go back to America? Rachel replies: “Babi Yar.” That she cannot not help when innocent people are dying in front of her. Not when she can save some from dying. “This isn’t like the news,” she tells Kalyna. “You can’t change the channel or click on another video,” Rachel says. “This is the real thing, in front of you: Live and in color,” she jokes bitterly.

With Internet service restored, Rachel is able to reconnect with her parents. Although they want her to return, they accept that she should stay in Ukraine as long as she is useful. They are at least glad that she is not hurting anyone, and instead, helping to save lives. “We Jews always say: ‘Someone should have done something!” says Eric. “Now we can say, ‘Our daughter is that someone!’"

Kalyna introduces Rachel to Dr. Alex Bramman; a former resident of Kharkiv. As he speaks good English, he has agreed to let Rachel assist him as he works. Meanwhile, Kalyna tells Rachel that her courage has convinced her to join an ambulance crew, where she can save more lives than waiting for wounded people to reach the hospital.

Alone on break, Rachel suggests she also go with Kalyna to the front. “There wouldn’t be room for you,” Kalyna tells her. Rachel realizes what Kalyna is risking, and tells her how much she doesn’t want to lose her. Kalyna tells Rachel she will see her at the hospital; and she will always think of her when she is away. She gives Rachel a blue and yellow bracelet, symbolizing Ukraine, and puts on one just like it. “Now, we will always be together!” Kalyna says. “Slava Ukrayina!” “Slava Ukrayina” Rachel replies.

The women touch their bracelets together, lock eyes, and realize what they mean to each other. They embrace and kiss each other passionately.

Kalyna admits that she persuaded Rachel to come to Ukraine because she wanted to stay with her. When Rachel told her she was bisexual in Italy, Kalyna immediately wanted to kiss her lips. Kalyna asks Rachel to spend the night before she leaves for the front with her, so she will have at least that memory, and Rachel eagerly agrees.

On one of the damaged floors of the hospital, Kalyna and Rachel make love on one of the abandoned beds, as sounds of battle continue around them.

Kalyna is near the front, rescuing wounded soldiers. She closes the doors and hops in the back.

Rachel is assisting Dr. Alex on triage detail, witnessing how he treats each patient with concern, whether they will die soon or have a chance to recover. Rachel sees Kalynas ambulance by its number. Rachel shouts her name. Kalyna hears her, waves, and then gets back to work. Rachel returns to Dr. Alex’s side.

Led by the citizen-soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces, the Ukrainian army is advancing against Russian troops. When they retake the suburb Dr. Alex lives in, the bodies of his wife and daughter are found in a cellar. They were gang-raped and then murdered by drunken Russians. Dr. Alex is devastated, but he continues to work.

Kalyna and Rachel sharing the bed in their private room. Rachel asks Kalyna to come to California after the war and live with her. Kalyna is reluctant to leave her family, but she loves Rachel and they can marry legally in the U.S., but not Ukraine. “When the war is over…” she tells Rachel, unable to complete her sentence.

Kalyna is helping to rescue wounded soldiers. Suddenly, an explosion. Kalyna instinctively throws herself over the wounds of the soldier she is helping. Then she screams in pain.

The ambulance burns. Chaos at the hospital as military vehicles bring the ambulance crew to the hospital. Rachel recognizes that some of the injured are part of Kalyna’s crew. Calling out her name, Rachel vainly looks for Kalyna. She runs up to someone that seems to be in charge. Not knowing enough Ukrainian, Rachel can only utter her name. The man shakes his head and responds with a string of Ukrainian with one word Rachel understands too well: мертвий (“Mertvyy” or “Dead”). Rachel is stunned.

Rachel makes a video announcing Kalyna’s death. She will be at her funeral.

Rachel attends Kalyna’s funeral; a rugged affair around a wooden cross, with a picture of Kalyna stapled onto it.

Rachel makes a video about Kalyna’s funeral. Rachel says she wanted to tell Kalyna’s parents that Kalyna was in love with her when she died, but she thought it might add to their pain, or even change how they feel about her. She asks anyone that knows them to tell them Kalyna’s secret, if they think they should know it.

Back at the hospital, Rachel and Dr. Alex grow closer, as they share their griefs. One night, Rachel suggests she should marry Alex, the most caring man she has ever known. He laughs, and lovingly tells Rachel he is too old for her, and she is too young to be a widow. “We do not even have tomorrow, today” he says.

Rachel is eating lunch with her Ukrainian colleagues, who are practicing their English with her. Suddenly, a missile hits the hospital. Chaos, then as Rachel loses consciousness, blackout and silence.

Rescuers remove the dead and injured from the hospital. Rachel’s arm drags across the ground, scraping Kalyna’s bracelet.

Dr. Alex tells Rachel that, with spinal paralysis and other injuries, she must return to the U.S. for recovery and rehabilitation. They promise to stay in touch, sharing their grief. When the war is over, Dr. Alex promises to visit California. He helps Rachel lift her torso off the bed, embraces her and kisses her forehead. “You have been like a saint,” he tells her. “Slava Amerytsi” (Glory to America!)

At Rachel’s hospital bed, Stepan and Milena refuse to accept Rachel’s Hero of Ukraine, Order of State medal on behalf of Kalyna. Stepan tells Rachel that this is an award given by the Ukrainian Radha and President Zelensky, this is not something she can give to someone else. Milena tells Rachel that she has been given this medal because she is returning to the United States; she must wear this “burden” to inspire Americans to support Ukraine.

Before leaving Rachel, Stepan and Milena hand her Kalyna’s blood-stained blue and yellow wristband, point at Rachel’s ruined wristband, and give her a new blue and yellow one to replace it. Stepan tells her they would normally be angry at both Rachel and Kalyna for what they did together. However, under the circumstances, he accepts that it was her choice. Milena adds, “Kalyna lived her life so quickly; at least she knew the joy of falling in love.” Stepan caresses Milena. “Yes, like we fell in love. Exactly like we fell in love.”

At Kyiv Passenger station, the hospital electrician wheels Rachel to the Kyiv Express, departing for Warsaw. He tells her he is sorry the rest of the staff could not accompany her, but they are needed at the hospital. Rachel understands completely.

After Rachel is loaded into the train, he points at the medal Rachel is wearing and tells the car attendant: “This American is a true Hero of Ukraine. Make sure she reaches Poland safely.” The attendant agrees heartedly. As the train rolls westward, Rachel looks out the window for her last look at Ukraine.

On arrival in LAX, surrounded by her family and well-wishers, Rachel suddenly receives a phone call from President Biden. He tells her that her courage has demonstrated the best qualities of the American people, and wishes her a speedy recovery. Rachel tells the President that she has a long rehabilitation process, but Joe’s sons Hunter and Beau went through the same thing after the car accident that killed their mother and sister.

In the last scene, Rachel addresses her family’s synagogue, wearing her Hero of Ukraine medal. She explains that her head and heart are constantly fighting within her. Her head says she has done all she could to help the people of Ukraine, and that she would be a greater burden than a benefit if she were there. However, her heart keeps saying that all she wants is another Ticket to Kyiv.