What happens when Soviet progress crashes into mountain tradition? Spoiler: chaos, music, and one very stubborn daughter.
A mountain Daghestani village of our time. Though the civilization reached these places, but traditions and customs consolidated their grip on local folks minds. An old respectable mountain-dweller, a well-educated person in looks, the Palace of Culture director, a father of the young girl, who if ready for marriage, is no exception. According to the old custom a womans parents have to find a well-off groom and get bride-money. And they have an appropriate groom a respected mechanical engineer from a canning plant. But the girl destroys all their harmonious plans, falling in love with a simple driver.
Production
Authentic Dagestan locations burst with color against Soviet concrete.
Director
Vyacheslav Voskresenskiy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bride price (kalym) was officially discouraged in USSR but persisted in Caucasus regions; this film dances carefully around criticizing tradition without alienating local audiences.
Director Vyacheslav Voskresenskiy was primarily a documentary filmmaker; this rare fiction feature preserves actual Dagestan village life now transformed by decades of conflict.
SU
