K-19: Not the Hollywood vision

The history of the accident on the first Soviet nuclear underwater rocket carrier, the ‘К-19’, had laid down the basis for the Hollywood film ‘Hiroshima, widows left behind’. It seemed that nothing more terrible could have been thought up. But this plot was only a part of the original history of the well-known submarine.

Stories from eyewitnesses of the accident which viewers have never seen before till now are used as a basis for this documentary film about the К-19. The tragedy happened in 1972 when a fire had occurred on board. 25 men had died immediately, 15 more were trapped within the tenth hull to the very end. They struggled for life for 26 days - in complete darkness, without food, breathing charcoaled air and being practically without communication with those who were trying to rescue them. Yet they all survived! And they had saved the submarine, which was restored and was still able to carry fighting servicemen afterwards. Viewers will hear the stories of these prisoners of the tenth hull, the opinion of experts and together with authors of film will try to understand whether or not it was necessary to maintain for decades a submarine on which there were accidents repeatedly, putting the world in danger of a nuclear catastrophe. (texte officiel du distributeur)