A young woman commutes between two worlds: while serving in the German Armed Forces, she is preparing for a six-month deployment to Mali – with machine gun training, marching orders, and military drill. At the same time, she lives a different life: in an aesthetic clinic, she treats the faces of a modern affluent society with Botox. A fascinating contrast emerges between the barracks and the beauty salon – between preparations for war and beauty routines, obedience and self-realization, harshness and empathy.

SOLDATIN accompanies its protagonist in impressive images and lets her speak for herself. With a clear camera and restrained curiosity, Fiona Quint observes how questions of responsibility, role models, and moral orientation are inscribed in the young woman's body and everyday life. The seemingly contradictory realities—dedication to serving the nation and perfected aesthetics in the service of capitalist self-optimization—do not appear to contradict each other, but rather intertwine.

The film unfolds a sensitive portrait of a generation juggling conflicting demands—in a system that promises order but often creates ambivalence.