Speech for the Defence (Russian: Слово для защиты) is a 1976 Soviet drama film directed by Vadim Abdrashitov.
[1][2][3] The film tells the story about a woman named Valentina Kostina, who is accused of attempted murder of her lover and pleads guilty.
While she confesses to the crime, her lawyer, Irina Mezhnikova, seeks to uncover extenuating circumstances that might justify her actions.
She attempts to convince Valentina that Fedyaev is an unworthy, insignificant man who never deserved her sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Irina realizes that, in contrast to Valentina’s profound and selfless love, her own feelings for her fiancé, Ruslan, are superficial and insincere.