Sibir. Monamur

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.

It's lovely movie,

Siberia. Late autumn. In taiga.

In the deserted village there lives an old man Ivan & his seven-year-old grandson Leshia. A pack of feral dogs devours everything alive in the neighborhood. One of these dogs is Leshia's best friend. Sometimes their relative uncle Yuri brings food to them. Once on his way back from Ivan's village uncle Yuri is attacked by dogs & perishes. Ivan & Leshia stay without supply. Once Leshia witnesses Ivan shooting at 'his' dog & runs away. The old Man finds him in a dry well, but he fails to get him out on his own. Ivan sets out through taiga in search of help. Now the dogs are hunting him... And the boy is waiting for his father...

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.

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!!