The scenario: Lake Keno or Kenozero in northern Russia's Arkhangelsk district (the city of Arkhangelsk is about 300 kilometers away). The lake is not far from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, which plays a role in the story. It is summer, and the far northern latitude of the lake causes the white nights; darkness never sets in day or night. Postman Aleksey Tryapitsyn (played by himself) delivers mail by boat to the small settlements on the lake's shores. The inhabitants seem to be mostly women, children, and old people; presumably, the able bodied men have departed in search of jobs. Aleksey's visits seem to be the only communication of the locals with the outside world, except for television and occasional bus trips to nearby towns.
There are a few professional actors in the cast; the rest of the characters are real people playing themselves. Individual anecdotes and reminiscences were used by director/writer Andrey Konchalovsky and cowriter Elena Kiseleva during the writing of the screenplay. The time is post-Soviet and we have glimpses of some of the character's past from their comments and some photographs. There are also strange and whimsical happenings such as the disappearing grey cat and rockets from Plesetsk making their way to space in the background.
The action: nothing much happens, except for a theft mid-movie. However, what we witness are real characters in they real milieu. The film bears the seal of truth and envelops us in its magic from beginning to end. An essential component is the outstanding cinematography by Aleksander Simonov. It does justice not only to the beautiful, melancholic summer landscapes of Northern Russia but to the modest houses and their drab interiors which, without obvious trick lighting come to life with the poetry of common things and with an almost three dimensional look. One of the most fascinating films I have seen.
