Set in the rural village of White Storks, the story tackles the taboo subject of an extramarital affair. Strong-willed Malika, married but childless, is openly consorting with another man with whom she shares a seemingly tender bond.
Cinematography
Bleached-out landscapes that mirror the characters' emotional barrenness.
Acting
Sairam Isayeva's defiant stillness — she communicates everything through refusal.
Direction
Khamraev lets silences scream; every glance is a loaded weapon.
Director
Ali Khamraev
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Khamraev was part of the 'Uzbek New Wave,' a rare Soviet regional cinema that got past Moscow's censors by being too aesthetically beautiful to dismiss as dissident.
The film's frank treatment of female desire made it controversial even in the relatively liberal Khrushchev Thaw; some regional screenings were reportedly disrupted by outraged officials.
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