The Trace of Moloktchon (2001)

This is the story of Terenti, a reindeer hunter and chief of the brigade, and his family. His wife Maïa, daughter Anna, brother Vassia, and grandfather live in their balok. Anna’s cousin Konstantin is staying with them in the tundra. Early one morning, Anna awakens. The Trace of Moloktchon follows a family of Dolgans from sunrise to sunset. We meet the Tundra of Siberia, the last nomadic inhabitants of the Taïmyr. On May 9, 2000, the filmmaker set a camera inside a balok and another outside on a swivel to follow the sun. This allowed him to film on two screens, an intimate record of Maïa’s daily life and the means developed by this thousand-year-old culture for meeting its needs. At the same time, he captured a panorama of her environment, the Tundra of Terenti. We discover the way of life of these animistic nomads. They went about their usual activities without apparent regard for the camera. The resulting document is moving and informative.