«The image of people as slaves has deep roots in our
mentality. But the Russian mind created the great
Russian literature of the 19th century, the cultural
explosion of the late 19th early 20th centuries which
affected all cultural spheres. What underlies it all is the
millennia-old specific world outlook, specific attitude to
life, God and nature. And the thirst for freedom. Thus we
have reasons not to look upon ourselves as puppets»
says the Russian film director Andrei Smirnov. The set of
his new film and the screening room; the present-day
village in the Tambov region and the chronicle; excerpts
from Andrei Smirnov’s movies and photos from the
family archive. Those are the building blocks of this
documentary.