The Whale from Lorino / Wieloryb z Lorino (2019) dir. Maciej Cuske

A film about the clash of two disappearing worlds; Chukchis civilization and the universe of monumental and majestic whales in a story about the paradox of history and a harsh fight for survival. According to the origin myth of the Siberian Chukchi people, mankind was born from the marriage of a primeval mother with a whale. Man and whale lived happily together for a long time, until a man killed his whale brother. Since then, hunger and suffering have prevailed on earth. This myth introduces a keenly observed portrait of the remote town of Lorino, in the far northeast of Siberia. For the Chukchis, the yearly hunt for the endangered whale is not only a tradition, but a necessity for surviving winter in one of the most inhospitable places on earth. As they wait for the catch, they buy their food on credit at the poorly stocked village supermarket. A bust of Lenin overlooks the village square, in memory of an era that has also marked life profoundly here, though perhaps in less visible ways.