The vast territories beside the Pinega river in northwest Russia are covered by woods and inhabited by more wild animals than people, besides a few villages who live mostly from the forests, fishing, and gardening. Society here can only be described as a matriarchy, where beliefs, spells, and traditional rituals are passed down the female line. Musical contributions from village residents serve as a leitmotif for the film: unsteady renditions of old songs that reveal performances belonging to a distant past. The population of these communities has aged considerably — but the place itself is timeless.

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