‘Every man has his star in the sky – he was born under it’, or so the Nenet people of the Siberian tundra believe.

This film by Markku Lehmuskallio’s is a metaphoric summary of a lifetime of film-making above the Arctic Circle. Lehmuskallio, 70, a former forest technician, has worked for the last 40 years with film-maker Anastasia Lapsui, a radio journalist born in Siberia who specialises in the indigenous languages of the Lapp Sami/Siberian cultures bordering the Finnish and Russian Arctic.

Travelling is a poetic journey of exploration in the tundra and covers the entire life cycle of man, from birth to grave. The Nenet’s everyday life is dictated by the rhythm of the seasons, which regulates their basic survival needs of hunting and fishing.

Leading a simple and sustainable life, and very often facing harsh climatic conditions, especially in winter, the Nenet’s most precious asset is their reindeer herd. The animals are used for transport and for food, their skin for tents and clothing. But the oil tower on the horizon signifies change.

Viewed by many as the masterpiece of Lehmuskallio’s career, this is an astonishingly beautiful piece of film-making.

Director: Anastasia Lapsui / Markku Lehmuskallio
Country: Finland
Length: 77 minutes