Verner HERZOG
Вернер ХЕРЦОГ
Verner HERZOG
Dmitry VASYUKOV
Дмитрий ВАСЮКОВ
Dmitri VASSIOUKOV
Germany, 2011, 94mn 
Colour, documentary
Schastlivye lyudi: god v tayge
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Счастливые люди: год в тайге

 

 Happy People : A Year in the Taiga

 Des Gens heureux : une année dans la taïga

 
Directed by : Verner HERZOG (Вернер ХЕРЦОГ), Dmitry VASYUKOV (Дмитрий ВАСЮКОВ)
Writing credits : Verner HERZOG (Вернер ХЕРЦОГ)
Other persons :
Script : Werner HERZOG, Dmitry VASYUKOV, Rudolph HERZOG
Camera : Alexey MATVEEV, Gleb STEPANOV, Arthur SIBIRSKI, Michael TARKOVSKY
Music : Klaus BADELT
Producers : Werner HERZOG, Yanko DAMBOULEV, Timur BEKMAMBETOV, Klaus BADELT Charlie WOEBCKEN, Christoph FISSER, Nick RASLAN, Vladimir PEREPELKIN
Companies : Studio Babelsberg
 

DVD with subtitles
Editor : Why Not. 2014. Titre : Happy People : A Year in the Taiga

Plot synopsis
Treading once more upon conceptual ground first travelled in Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog takes the footage of another--in this case, Dimitry Vasukov's four-hour documentary on Siberian fur trappers--and condenses it "into a memerizing Walden-like ode to wilderness life...ruminating on man's relationship with nature..."--Variety
The East Siberian taiga is one of the largest ecosystems in Russia. The area is home for a self-reliant indigenous group concentrated around the Bakhtia village. The locals have managed to preserve their own cultural traditions for centuries, give or take a motorboat or two. In Bakhtia, the rules of capitalism are subverted for the good of the community, and the only standard of conduct are their individual values. In addition, the weather conditions demand extreme physical effort from the natives.
The region has seldom been seen on film and first time director Dmitry Vasyukov takes full advantage of the breathtaking landscapes. To watch glaciers travelling through the Yenisei River at remarkable speed is a sight to behold. The perpetually bemused Werner Herzog (also producer) provides the narration. His admiration for the locals' capacity to enjoy a full life in this environment is only matched by his delight when discovering the complete absence of bureaucracy and other contemporary malaises.
Source : http://www.viff.org/festival/
 

Selected in the following festivals or events :
- Sputnik nad Polska, Warsaw (Poland), 2012
- Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver (Canada), 2011
- Sputnik nad Polska, Warsaw (Poland), 2011
- Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds (United Kingdom), 2011

Images