The film starts with a dream, a blurred vision. Then images of the endless Siberian taiga, seen through a helicopter's window, suggest a long journey from civilization. That's where the Braguines, a family of Orthodox Old Believers, decided to settle—in the middle of a forest that provides ample food for their many children. But they're not totally isolated: On the other side of a fence live the equally anti-authoritarian Kilines, with whom they've been feuding for as long as they can remember, and whom the director films only from a distance. Yet the constant sense of threat may not come from these estranged neighbours or from the roaming bears that fierce hunters turn into children's slippers; the unspoiled landscape attracts the greed of eager and heavily armed foreigners. At any time, the foggy, eerie fairy tale of Braguino can turn into a downright nightmare. Charlotte Selb
The Changing Face of Europe program presented in partnership with European Film Promotion (EFP). Film recommended by EFP member UniFrance. [More]