In this documentary, “a defiant, spirited group of elderly women scratches out an existence in this highly toxic landscape, the last survivors of a small community who refused to leave their ancestral homes after the Chernobyl disaster.”

My love for this presentation may have been influenced by the fact that the babushkas live that which I am only one generation removed from. It was stunning for me to see aspects of my father’s (non-Chernobyl) childhood depicted in film.

However, I’m fairly confident others will find the documentary compelling for additional reasons, as I did:

• What is the life expectancy in those who submitted to expulsion to the city, versus in those who returned to their “toxic” homes?
• What accounts for this surprising difference?
• Is it “bad”, “threatening”, or “wrong” to defy government decrees and select the region one’s soul requires?
• How can our personal need become an act of service to the larger world?
• Is it possible to live well after tragedy?
• How does the practice of “DIY” and self-sufficiency leave us prepared for a wide range of scenarios?
• What are the critical elements to survival and thriving? Is it a massive home, a bunker full, and unlimited cash?
• What possessions, traits, and actions provide resiliency after environmental disaster?

I recommend asking your library to order this inspiring documentary in.