In 1941, the Bielski brothers managed to flee the towns where Jews were being rounded up by the Nazis, and escaped to the forest. They vowed to welcome any Jew who could make their way to them, and by 1943, 1500 partisans were living in an underground village in a forest in Byelorussia. Everyone in the unit had to either work, or fight to defend defending the camp, killing Nazis and collaborators and carrying out acts of sabotage. They were also involved in the only successful mass escape from a Nazi concentration camp.

Incorporating testimony from survivors of the Second World War, this film perfectly portrays the harsh realities of partisan life as well as the terror of the concentration camps. It is a remarkable story of optimism and bravery, and shows painfully how the partisans struggled to retain their dignity and humanity and survive against the odds.