On the night of July 1-2, 2002, two planes collided in mid-air over Lake Constance as a result of the negligence of a Swiss air traffic controller. One was a Bashkir Airlines passenger aircraft and the other one was a Boeing cargo liner. The collision took 71 people, including 65 children. Unable to find justice in court, Russian architect Vitaly Kaloev took the law into his own hands and did away with the Swiss company controller, whom he blamed for the death of his family.
The Bashkir Airlines aircraft was operating a charter flight from Moscow to Barcelona. Most of the Tu-154 passengers were children. They were rewarded with a holiday trip to Spain provided by UNESCO to acknowledge their talents and academic achievements. The plane fell down in an apple orchard near the lake. Later, the mother of one of the victims found a drawing made by her son, which depicts a plane with people either leaving or falling out of the plane.
We visited a house located not far from this lake, talked to the owner of the garden, an undertaker, as well as with the volunteers who helped the parents that immediately flew to Germany to be present at the crash area.
The Bashkir Airlines aircraft was operating a charter flight from Moscow to Barcelona. Most of the Tu-154 passengers were children. They were rewarded with a holiday trip to Spain provided by UNESCO to acknowledge their talents and academic achievements. The plane fell down in an apple orchard near the lake. Later, the mother of one of the victims found a drawing made by her son, which depicts a plane with people either leaving or falling out of the plane.
We visited a house located not far from this lake, talked to the owner of the garden, an undertaker, as well as with the volunteers who helped the parents that immediately flew to Germany to be present at the crash area.
- The film is a New York Films Festival nominee. It was translated into German.