Tony Perry of the Los Angeles Times stated that the film recounts survivors' testimonies and does not explore political aspects nor assign blame to any party.
[1] Ewart went to Beslan in November 2004 to compile footage for the film, interviewing 140 subjects, all children who were held prisoner in the incident.
[1] Ewart, who had previously covered wars as a journalist, stated that "no amount of war-zone coverage proved to me as traumatic as making this film.
[2] The footage alternates between interviews and primary source material.
[4] Brian Lowry of Variety wrote that it was "chillingly effective in driving these horrific events home" but that it was exploiting its interviewees and "in most ways inferior to" a documentary on Beslan by Wide Angle.