Set in the high North, this tale of a Russian teacher who begins to educate the children of the Chukchi tribe reinforces the director's firm belief in the power of education to overcome distrust and establish a shared civilizational foundation for all human beings.
Production
Arctic location shooting that probably nearly killed everyone.
Direction
Donskoy's unwavering belief that literacy fixes everything.
Director
Mark Donskoy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during WWII, this was USSR's cinematic argument that its northern minorities were being embraced, not erased.
Mark Donskoy had just finished his legendary Gorky trilogy; this was his 'palate cleanser' about different hardships.
SU
