On patrol in the Caucasus mountains, Russian soldiers Vanya (Sergei Bodrov Jr.) and Sacha (Oleg Menshikov) become the prisoners of a Chechen village. Tribal leader Abdul-Murat (Jemal Sikharulidze) is willing to release the pair unharmed in exchange for his son, who is a prisoner in the custody of the Russians.  After writing to their mothers with Abdul-Murat’s terms, the duo is powerless to do anything but wait for an answer while getting used to life in the village.  Although complete understanding never fully emerges, their bittersweet ordeal reveals the human soul of two vastly different cultures.