In "What's After the Movie," the story begins in the early hours of June 22, 1941, in Moscow, as Veronika and her boyfriend, Aleksey Batalov, watch the cranes soar over the city during sunrise. They quickly sneak back into their family apartments, unaware that just hours later, their lives will be dramatically changed forever. The devastating news arrives soon after when Boris's cousin, Nikolay Smorchkov, wakes him with the horrifying announcement that Nazi Germany has launched a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union.
Veronika learns that Boris, the young man she loves, has volunteered to fight for their country, demonstrating his patriotism and courage. Before leaving, Boris asks his grandmother to give Veronika a small birthday gift—a stuffed squirrel toy, which Boris affectionately calls “squirrel,” his pet name for Veronika. Inside the toy, Boris discreetly slips a heartfelt love note, eager to keep his feelings alive even as he heads into battle. When Veronika arrives at Boris's apartment to say goodbye, she finds the door unopened; she is too late to see Boris off to the front lines, but Boris's grandmother gives her the cherished stuffed squirrel as a token of Boris's affection.
As the chaos of war unfolds, Veronika searches for Boris at the military draft station, only to discover that he has already marched off to face the dangers of war. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes at her home front—her family is caught in a German air raid that destroys their apartment building and claims the lives of her parents. Orphaned and heartbroken, Veronika finds refuge with Boris’s family, who graciously invite her to stay.
Amidst the war’s brutality, Mark, Boris’s cousin, confesses his love for Veronika but is met with her unwavering devotion to Boris. Their fragile relationship is tested further when, during another air raid, Mark makes a move on her—an act of desperation that leads to an assault, which Veronika fiercely rebuffs. Despite their marriage afterward, Veronika despises Mark for his betrayal, and the family views her as a traitor to Boris’s memory.
At the war front, Boris finds himself in a tense confrontation with a fellow soldier, Valentin Zubkov, who mocks him over a photo of Veronika. Their altercation is noticed by their commanding officer, who assigns them a perilous reconnaissance mission. During the mission, Boris heroically saves Volodya’s life but gets shot in the process. In his final moments, Boris experiences a vivid vision of a wedding that will never happen, symbolizing the love he yearned to share with Veronika.
In a desperate bid to escape the advancing German forces, Boris's family relocates to Siberia. Veronika, now working as a nurse in a military hospital overseen by Boris’s father, Vasili Merkuryev, grapples with feelings of loss and despair. She becomes overwhelmed by guilt after overhearing her superior talk about unfaithful women, thinking she resembles the kind of woman he condemns. This emotional turmoil drives her to attempt suicide by train but is interrupted when she rescues a young boy—Boris’s little brother—who has been separated from his mother. The boy’s name is Boris, and through him, Veronika finds a renewed purpose.
She searches for her stuffed squirrel toy, which Boris's sister, Irina, cruelly informs her Mark is giving it to his mistress at his own birthday party. Rushing to the celebration, Veronika intercepts the notes Boris had hidden in the toy, discovering a final tender message from him. Through voice-over narration, Boris’s love note becomes a poignant reminder of the feelings that once kept their hopes alive. Meanwhile, Boris’s father, Fyodor Ivanovich, uncovers that Mark has bribed his way out of military service, revealing his betrayal not only of Boris but of their entire family and country.
Fyodor expels Mark from their home, and through this act, the family begins to heal. Veronika is forgiven for her perceived betrayal, and the boy she saved from the accident becomes part of their family. Yet, the pain of loss remains, as Volodya—recovered from his injuries—comes searching for Boris's family and delivers the heartbreaking news that Boris was killed in battle.
Even after the war ends in 1945, Veronika and Volodya walk along the river in Moscow, sharing a close bond, though she refuses to accept Boris's death. She holds onto hope, believing that somehow he might still be alive. Her grief reaches a climax at the train station, where she searches frantically for Boris and his friend, Stepan. When she finally learns the truth—Boris is dead—it shatters her emotionally. Overcome with grief, she stumbles through the crowd, tears streaming down her face.
During a patriotic gathering, as Stepan passionately declares that those who died in the war are forever remembered, Veronika begins distributing her flowers among the returning soldiers and their families. As she looks up at the sky, she witnesses the cranes flying once more over Moscow—symbolic of hope, memory, and the enduring spirit of those lost during the war.
Throughout the film, themes of love, loss, sacrifice, and resilience intertwine to paint a vivid picture of that tumultuous period in history, capturing the emotional struggles of those affected by war and the unbreakable human spirit that persists despite unimaginable suffering.
