When the fog cleared A resident of the village of Tuma, Ryazan region, Lesha goes to the place where his house once stood to feed those left there on ashes, a cat and a dog. Along the way, he recreates a picture of the life of his native village before the fire. Without complaints, without playing to the public and claims to his heroism, he talks about who saved what, how he himself took away from the fire of the neighboring old women, about the cow that terrorizes the entire local population, about how he dreams of quitting smoking and about many other simple everyday things.
I’m pretty sure this movie didn’t have a good reason. About the fires of 2010 we knew only dry information from the news blocks, behind the numbers, kilometers, hectares are not visible live people. Of course, the news has another function – to inform. But everyday impersonal facts, without unnecessary details, still make us more cynical. So, the next morning, over a cup of fragrant coffee, we will hear about a new flood and fire that wiped out the whole village. Sadly frown, then say something like “what a nightmare” and after 5 minutes safely forget about this “emergency”. And then Hollywood directors of a great human tragedy will definitely make a box office and spectacular movie, so that the viewer sobs at the end.
This is different. This 32-minute film is more like a heartfelt impulse of a caring person. Lesha’s monologue chains to the screen, it seems that it is with you that he shares his thoughts, it is to you that he describes the picture of the life of the village, before it turned into ashes. Touches for the living because the real, without takes and actors, without kilometers, tons and hectares ... cinema in the usual human language of emotions.
Separately, I would like to say that the documentary niche for some reason still does not attract a wide audience. First, documentary does not have a wide advertising field. Advertising is the engine of commerce. Normally, posters of a new documentary will never be seen on movie posters. Secondly, many people still have the stereotype that documentary films are boring three-hour scientific videos about the reproduction of arthropods. Of course, not all documentaries are equally useful and interesting. But sometimes a 30-minute documentary is far more deserving of a ticket to enter the human soul than a 2-hour studio junk with a whole gang of grief actors.
I think if people start to pay attention not only to the “unstressful” cinema, but also to films that touch life and make them think, feel, sincerely smile and cry from real emotions, they will be able to discover a lot of new things.
Watch this movie, you won’t regret it.
My sincere recommendations and 10 points.
Thanks to Elena Demidova.