Sibir. Monamur

I talked to my American friends before watching and all of them warned me that this is a "heavy" movie. Guess what, it was like I just went home. Real. It was true in every detail. Brutal. Exposing. Poisonous. Nauseating. Yes. And true. Superb work by Slava Ross worthy of Oscar nomination. I think that the strongest lines were: Grandpa, Lyosha, the Captain and Anna, aside from Fang the dog. There was only a single overreach - I do not remember drinking vodka for breakfast. Otherwise - the film was captivating and honest. I feel that sometimes watching the endless line of all-goody-goody movies kills our ability to perceive reality, which is far from nice and fluffy. Soviet system kills the most important thing in every man - his ability to respect himself. That is what the Grandpa in the movie is running from and so do we...

It's the best and incredible film about wild Russia. All scenes about hard life in taiga. I'm under the impression.

The old grandfather and his grandson live in the wild wilderness. Wild dogs have eaten all the animals in the nearby woods. Grandfather is lame and can not go far to hunt. Wild dogs ate their goats, they have no food. His grandson is waiting for his father. Sometimes they were visiting by uncle and brings food, because of the drunkenness and sloppiness uncle once was lost in the forest. The grandson had quarreled with his grandfather, fled, and fell into the pit. To get him out of the pit grandfather needs help and he goes through the wild forest to the people.

This film is about what it means to be human. This film about the hard life in which there is a place not only care about survival, but also mutual.

This is a complicated film, it makes you wonder about the meaning of life.

I lived in Siberia between 1963 and 1973 and I can testify that the film is as true to the reality of life there as it gets.

Slava Ross excellently guides his protagonists through parallel story lines, almost wordless immersing into their souls, giving us a glimpse of their cruel humanism, intriguing us by raising our own perception to a angelic level which enables us to perceive the difficulty we would have if we would judge his characters.

At first glance you would say that some of Ross' characters are evil, but sooner or later you will realize that you have to think over your verdict.

What an excellent philosophical film not denying the kind heart in every human soul despite all misery.

Thank you very much Slava for Lesia!!

With this complex story about human nature, Slava Ross made exceptional debut as a director. She put back on track Russian cinema, that in past few years lost some of the values with failed blockbusters, historical epics and unnecessary sequels (some of them made even by Mikhalkov).

Alongside with Vozvraschenie, this is another character study that deals with hard life of individuals living in remote area. It creates a parallel between humans and animals, compassion and cruelty, living and surviving.

The story is breathtaking, very well written and directed. Cinematography is stunning: it shows in its perfection the main character of the story - nature. Beautiful, distant, unpredictable, frightening and never-ending space... which controls actions of every other character. Their inner nature and emotions gets changed towards each other depending on circumstances. However, they are connected in a battle against the wilderness of the nature, but divided by a way of surviving.

Do not miss this modern Russian masterpiece which shows a circle of life with one different point of view.