Drama based on Bunin’s story of the same title.
This story, which intertwines the destiny of a noble family and their servants, is
to the present day considered one of the most significant and clear portraits of
Russian life at the end of the 19th century. The film’s protagonist is the young
and naive peasant girl Natalia, who serves an impoverished noble family on their
country estate. Natalia knows no other life: her mind is full of superstitions and
fears, but her soul is that of a real heroine. Through the peripetias of her life –
love, loyalty, mystical experiences, exile, treachery, faith – we also see the fateful
turns in the destiny of the Khrushchev family, for whom Natalia works. In terms
of passions, secrets and unexpected turns, “Dry Valley” is a contemporary story,
full of suspense and action, but at the same time with an incredible depth and an
artistic perfection that is characteristic for the most brilliant works of Ivan Bunin.