Vladlena. Independent film director Vladlena Sandu was born in her Father’s homeland of Ukraine (USSR), Crimea in 1982. After her parents divorced, she moved to her Mother’s hometown of Grozny in the Chechen Republic. She spent six years at war as a child and teenager. In 1998 she immigrated to mainland Russia and received the status of an internally displaced person. Since the beginning of the war of Russia against Ukraine since March 20, 2022, Vladlena is based and works in Amsterdam / the Netherlands