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The Molokans

original title: Molokane

2018, 76 min., color, Russian

existence Muslims+Christians post-Soviet space ritual sect tradition visual anthropology

DOCUMENTARY CATEGORY : Visual anthropology / Ethnography
COUNTRIES: Russia, Azerbaijan
PRODUCTION : BUDGET : 26 000 euro

CREW

Director : Cinematographer : Sergey Karelin
Producers : Dmitry Frolov, Saglara Tyurbeeva
Poster

COMMENTS

FESTIVALS: Međunarodni festival etnološkog filma 2019, Festival international de Film du Nancy 2019, Golden Apricot 2019

Director Saglara Tyurbeeva, cameraman Sergey Karelin and sound director Polina Demina immersed themselves in the creative process. The crew was met by a hospitable Azerbaijan that demonstrated an unprecedented cordiality and provided ideal conditions for laborious work.

A mystifying and haunting score composed by Moscow-based musician KP Transmission, or Karina Kazaryan subtly echoes throughout the duration of teaser.

SYNOPSIS

PRIDE AND PAIN. THE GIFT OF AN ENDANGERED PEOPLE

Nestled in the hills of Transcaucasia, and entirely preserved in time, there are several villages founded by the Molokans – a Russian sect of Christians. They were exiled to the mountain Azerbaijani region of Kabristan by Czar Nicholas I in the 1830s. The Molokans now have all but become extinct. The remaining settlers now lack a succeeding generation to whom they could pass on their original traditions, and the film intends to make it possible for the local Molokans to reproduce their history for their descendants sprawled across the world. The film discovers the traces of hidden life left in Kabristan, while simultaneously unveiling the present-day lives of the locals.