Braguino

First, the narration of a dream. Then a blur, like a mirage. The helicopter lands into Braguino, a small village in the heart of the Siberian taiga, 500 kilometres from the nearest town. A community of “Old Believers”, an ancient cult, chose to settle there in the 17th century to avoid central authority and live according to their own laws. An Eden? Not quite. The river that flows through the centre of the village acts as a border between two territories. The Braguine, who live on one side, and the Kiline on the other, are perpetually fighting and spying on each other. The director films from the Braguine side, only showing the Kiline from a distance. Through sounds, voices, faces, stares and gestures, Clément Cogitore captures the palpable tension and the underlying fear of others. We are immersed into the singularity of this small community, with its patriarch and crowds of children. We discover an existence where nature is part of everyday life, as shown during the duck hunt and the incredible episode of the bear hunt: a humble and almost pantheistic moment, producing a pair of children’s fur slippers as its only trophy. As the patriarch reminds us, “In the taiga, the most dangerous thing is man”. Does he refer to the Kiline? In the background, another, more violent drama is unfolding: a group flies in with their helicopter, into a land almost forgotten by today’s men and their greed, which they see as a potential playground. Clement Cogitore delivers a dense and emotional narrative reminiscent of John Ford, revealing the Wild East’s harsh and tragic reality. (NF)