Trailer

“LEGENDS OF ETERNAL SNOW”, 2024

Director Alexei Romanov, Sakhafilm Producation Company, Republic Sakha

Logline:

An older man, Khabyy, is tasked with bringing a bride to an old prince against her will. Caught in a snowstorm, they end up in a long-abandoned yurt, whose mistress has been waiting for her groom—Khabyy.

Starring: Alisa Larionova

Synopsis:

In the vast snowy expanses of Yakutia, a drama unfolds. An older man, Khabyy, along with two companions, must deliver the young Kiluk as a bride for an old prince. Taken from her parents' yurt in exchange for a rich dowry, she longs to escape back home, but Khabyy is harsh and unrelenting. Only the young Nyukus tries to ease her plight. As they travel, feelings develop between them.

During the long and arduous journey, Khabyy begins to sense a growing threat. Nyukus, driven by his feelings for Kiluk, is prepared to take extreme measures. Fate leads them to a long-abandoned hut, which holds a secret from Khabyy's past.

Alexey Romanov, director

Director's Notes:

The subtext of the film is that the image of the ghost girl is perceived by the author as the image of ancestors. Sometimes, under the pressure of prejudice, we abandon our roots, try to "repaint" ourselves to fit in, forgetting where we come from and who our ancestors are, betraying the traditions, wisdom, and heritage left by our forebears. Only later do we realize what we have done and try to regain what was lost, echoing the legend of the "prodigal son."

"The Legend of Eternal Snows" is a sequel to one of the first Yakut films (possibly the first) "Mappa," directed in 1986 by VGIK graduate Alexey Romanov. The screenplay is based on a story by the classic of Yakut literature, N. Zabolotsky, inspired by local legends related to the "black pox" epidemic, where the sick became outcasts, facing the harsh reality of solitude.