A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century.
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- 1 win
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSince the popularity of the TV mini-series, the village of Bakhta has become a tourist spot, with visitors arriving by river boat in the short summer months. Tarkovsky created a museum there that features artifacts and exhibits on the life and work of the trappers, fishermen, boat-builders, craftsmen, and villagers. The museum features a workshop to teach young people practical application on how to live off the land, and to pass down its traditions.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Himself - Narrator: This is the village of Bakhtia In Siberia. Although it looks like winter to us, it's already spring here. The village is located In the heart of Siberia, and we should keep in mind that this colossal landmass is one and a half times the size of the United States. The endless wilderness that surrounds this place is known as the taiga. No roads or train lines traverse it. There are only two ways to reach this outpost - one is by helicopter, the other by boat. The expanse in the foreground is not solid ground but the frozen-over Yenisey River, one of the largest waterways in Siberia. It's only during the few Ice-free months of summer that boats can also reach Bakhtia.
Himself - Narrator: Of the 300 or so inhabitants of this village, a handful of them make their livelihood as professional trappers. One of these men is Gennady Solovyev. Here he makes his way into the wilderness across an enormous frozen river. He wants to show us an essential tool of his profession.
Gennady Soloviev: [demonstrating] An animal would approach and begin twisting the bait. The pressure is very light, I'll keep my hand in it. Let me show you. See how light it is.
[the top collapses]
Gennady Soloviev: There you go. The animal is trapped. This is how I disarm the trap.
[lifting the top back up]
Gennady Soloviev: I take away the bait. I remove the wooden linchpin so squirrels or mice don't steal them. I put everything under the roof, and that's it.
- ConnectionsEdited from Happy People (2007)
This is reflected most in the many wise and canny observations about the value of hard work and the cyclical nature of life emanating from one of the town's most seasoned citizens, a sort of rural philosopher who's been trapping in that area ever since the Communist government dropped him off and left him to fend for himself more than forty years ago. It is his commentary, more than even Herzog's own voice-over narration, that draws the viewer into this strange and unfamiliar world, one that is striking in both its harshness and its stark beauty (the image of a massive river of thawing ice heading swiftly northward during the spring is not one that will be easily forgotten).
This isn't Herzog's most innovative work by a long shot, but if anthropological studies are your preferred fare, this movie will surely fit the bill.
However, a warning may be in order for the hypersensitive viewer: this is NOT a movie that comes with the proviso, "No animals were harmed in the making of this film."
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $338,987
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,481
- Jan 27, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $338,987
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1