Autumn, 1923. Across the famine-stricken lands of Eurasia, hundreds of orphaned children are trapped in a world without mercy. Starving and abandoned, their only hope is a hospital train—a lifeline assembled from mismatched cars, known as “The Garland”. Commanded by a battle-worn soldier and a pragmatic officer, the train embarks on a desperate mission to carry these children across four thousand kilometres to Samarkand, the land of plenty.
Leading the journey is Deev, a boyish war veteran who trusts fate more than strategy, and Belaya, a strict and pragmatic commissar who sees survival as a matter of discipline, not luck. Their clashing philosophies threaten to derail the mission, yet the survival of the children depends on their ability to work together. Alongside them are a ragtag crew: former military medic Bug, teenage cook Memela, and a group of newly appointed sisters of mercy, from a brilliant ichthyologist to a superstitious peasant woman—all of them bound by a single purpose: to bring the children to safety.
But the journey itself is a battle against hunger, disease, and the unforgiving forces of nature. The train struggles through endless forests and scorching deserts, with dwindling supplies and no guarantee of survival...Yet, when all hope appears lost, help comes from where it is least expected, from Soviet secret police officers and Red Army soldiers to freedom-loving Cossack warriors and the Islamic Central Asian resistance fighters still battling Soviet occupation. These unlikely heroes set aside their divides to save the souls of children, even those born to their sworn enemies. In the face of shared hardship, they prove that humanity can transcend politics.
Convoy to Samarkand is a testament to courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit. Based on true events, this film is designed for the entire family, aiming to inspire and move audiences worldwide.
CENTRAL CHARACTERS
DEEV
The film’s protagonist, Deev, embodies the dual nature of the regime—its darkness and its light. He is both a murderer and a saviour. Deyev, the murderer, is not so by choice, but by circumstance: as a young man swept up in the brutal tide of history, he was forced to kill—first in the chaos of the civil war, then as a soldier in the Red Army. These were acts of violence imposed by duty, not desire. Deyev, the saviour, however, is born of personal conviction. He joins the railway effort not for glory, but to fight famine without shedding blood. This, finally, is a battle he chooses—a quiet war for life, not death.
BELAYA
Assigned to assist Deev is the children's commissioner, Belaya: an austere, uncompromising woman with a resolutely masculine bearing—his opposite in every conceivable way. Belaya is a seasoned famine fighter, credited with saving thousands of lives. Her choices are shaped not by emotion, but by hard-earned experience and unyielding discipline.
Between these two poles—Deyev’s emotional intelligence and tenderness, and Belaya’s cold professionalism and steely resolve, a love story emerges. It's a charged and unlikely connection, full of friction and sparks, as each challenges and transforms the other.
_edited.png)
BOUG
Boug, a former army paramedic, had seen enough slaughter in the trenches of WWI on the fields of the Civil War to last two lifetimes. He volunteers to escort the convoy, hoping that caring for children would bring him some measure of harmony. What he doesn’t realise, is that the children will be starving and gravely ill. Torn by the pain and the suffering, but unable to abandon those who need him the most, Boug endeavours to save as many children as he can, becoming a mirror to Deev and Belaya’s efforts, demonstrating the kindness and compassion that neither of them can express physically. And for his sins, now, at the age of seventy, he finally finds love.
CHILDREN
The world of children in the 1920s is not only defined by disease and starvation, but it is also a world of remarkable vitality. Children form tight-knit packs, create their language, invent rituals, and live by unwritten codes. They forge makeshift families and develop psychological defences against the chaos around them. Their world is vibrant and dynamic, a stark contrast to the horrors they endure.
Many of the children’s stories and experiences are drawn from historical reality—the overcrowded orphanages housed in former aristocratic estates, the evacuation trains filled with starving children, the food army scraping every last crumb from desperate villages, and the dumping grounds, where nearly a million pounds of grain were stockpiled amid famine. Every moment in the film is grounded in real history, making it both a powerful narrative and an unflinching testimony to the past.
Ultimately, while Deev, Boug, and Belaya work to save the children, it’s the children who save the souls of those helping them, offering redemption and hope amidst the darkness.
.png)
Convoy to Samarkand shows acts of heroism from the most unexpected individuals, like ordinary people or figures, who were often perceived negatively by society or history. In the face of starvation, when survival seemed paramount, soldiers, Chekists, government collectors, Cossacks, and Basmach rebels reveal compassion and solidarity. These unlikely allies rise to the occasion, coming to the children's aid at the most critical and challenging moments. Through exotic and previously unexplored characters, their transformations become symbols of hope and courage. The story suggests that kindness is a form of freedom, a choice made by individuals, not the state.
Through this lens, we offer a raw and vivid portrayal of significant historical events, showcasing their complexity and the multifaceted nature of human behaviour. The film highlights how the rescue of these children, through the cooperation of groups that were often adversaries, underscores the deep, brotherly connection between humans despite religious, ideological and geopolitical divides.
HEROES FOR THE
ENTIRE WORLD
