Burnt by the Sun 2

Burnt by the Sun 2: Prestanding is a Russian drama film directed by and starring Nikita Mikhalkov. It is the sequel to Mikhalkov's 1994 film Burnt by the Sun. At the end of the previous movie, Burnt by the Sun, the main protagonist, General Kotov, was executed by the NKVD. But, according to the new movie, he was sent to a labor camp instead. As Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union, Kotov, along with his few surviving camp-fellows, is drafted to a penal military unit, to fight against the invading Germans. Two sub-plots also deal with the adventures of Kotov's daughter Nadya and Kotov's nemesis Mitya, the latter's suicide from the original movie was also retconned. Burnt by the Sun 2: Prestanding had the highest-ever budget for a Russian film ($55 million) but made a very poor box-office showing, despite heavy promotion that included a premiere inside the Moscow Kremlin. (official distributor synopsis)