NUUCCHA

Winner of the East of the West Competition at Karlovy Vary IFF 2021

Color, DCP
Director: Vladimir Munkuev
Screenplay: Vladimir Munkujev podle krátkého příběhu / based on the short story by Wacław Sieroszewski
DOP: Denis Klebleev
Editor: Ivan Lebedev
Art Director: Roman Arutyunyan
Producer: Evgeniy Nikishov, Alexandr Plotnikov, Albert Ryabyshev, Valeriy Fedorovich, Boris Khlebnikov
Production: Look Film
Coproduction: Place of Power
Cast: Pavel Kolesov, Sergei Gilev, Irina Mikhaylova

STORYLINE

A poor Yakut couple have just buried their newborn child and they are now preparing for the harsh winter ahead. When the local governor, installed by the tsarist authorities, instructs them to take in a Russian political prisoner, they have no choice but to comply. The foreigner’s presence, however, encroaches upon their lives more than they had anticipated…

Set in the late 19th century, Nuuccha (Yakut for “Russian”) was inspired by the writings of Polish author Wacław Sieroszewski, who became acquainted with Yakut culture and traditions during his years in Siberian exile. This evocative drama by debuting director Vladimir Munkuev is a striking example of lesser known Yakut cinema, while it also contributes significantly to the debate on the impact of colonisation and forced assimilation within tsarist Russia.