Prirechnyy - The Town that no Longer Exists

In 1961, Gagarin was launched into space and young pioneers swarmed out across the Soviet empire. In the north of Russia, they constructed the mining town of Prirechnyy. The heroes have grown old, the mine is closed, and today the town is a dirt track with dilapidated apartment buildings that have been deserted by most occupants. One person refers to it as an island in the desert. The telephones don't work anymore, so in order to call their children, people have to take a bus to the nearest phone. But when does it ever run? The melancholy of the Russian hinterland is a small genre in itself. In affectionate snapshots and carefully framed scenes, Tone Grøttjord depicts a forgotten world mostly inhabited by lonely old women. Only Aina and Fyodor are fortunate: they have been together for 53 years. At a leisurely pace, we follow some remaining inhabitants for one year as Groettjord patiently listens to their gossip and complaints. A former dancer longs for a man with some style. Tears well up in Maria's eyes when she thinks of her deceased husband. Fyodor plants his potatoes, the women's choir bravely sings on, but liberation day is not what it used to be. While some would love to get away, others will always call Prirechnyy home.