Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2010) - full transcript
In the center of the story is the life of the indigenous people of the village Bakhtia at the river Yenisei in the Siberian Taiga. The camera follows the protagonists in the village over a period of a year. The natives, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, keep living their lives according to their own cultural traditions. The expressive pictures are accompanied by original sound bites quoting the villagers.
This Is the village of Bakhtia in Siberia.
Although it fooks like winter fo us,
it's already spring here.
The village is Jocated
in the heart of Siberia...
and we should keep in mind
that this colossal landmass...
ls one and a half times
the size of the United States.
The endless wilderness that surrounds
this place is known as the tajga.
No roads or train lines traverse it.
There are only two ways
to reach this outpost-
one ls by helicopter, the other by boat.
The expanse in the foreground
ls not solid ground...
but the frozen-over Yenisey River...
one of the largest waterways in Siberia.
It is only during
the few ice-free months of summer...
that boats can also reach Bakhlia.
Of the 300 or so inhabitants of this village...
a handful of them make their livelihood
as professional frappers.
One of these men is Gennady Solovyev.
Here he makes his way
info the wilderness...
across an enormous frozen river
He wants fo show us
an essential tool of his profession.
This Is the best time of the year...
for Gennadly fo find
the perfect piece of wood...
for the making of his all-important skis.
The ice covering the river
ls stilf solid...
making it easy fo travel
the vast distances...
the trappers need fo prepare for their work.
Unlike sport hunting...
preparation for professional trapping
ls a year-round job.
This ls Anatoly Blume.
He's tending one of his hunting cabins.
Here, he removes the winter snow
so that the roof will not cave in.
Firewood must be collected now
so that it can dry during the summer.
Each hunter has a base hut...
and a number of additional outlying huts
that need fo be maintained.
All the provisions here
have fo be secured against bears.
They don't use glass for the windows...
as glass ls easily broken
during transportation or by bears.
These are the claw marks
made by one of them.
In spring,
with the sun higher upon the horizon...
the snow becomes wet
and river water seeps through the ice.
Here, Gennadly builds one of his traps...
in the same simple manner
they have been builf for ages.
Gennady marks the location of his frap...
so he can find it at the beginning
of the hunting season.
His territory comprises
of some 1,500 square kilometers.
This area was consigned to him
during Communist times...
when he trapped for the state.
The hunters return fo the village.
Here, the kids enjoy a last chance
at ice-skating before the thaw.
May 1 marks a big day for Russia.
It is their tradlitional Labor Day
and marks the end of the winter.
Winter is burnt in effigy.
The appearance
of the first geese flying north...
ls a sure sign of spring.
This is followed quickly
by May 9th, Victory Day—
The day the German army surrendered...
bringing an end
fo the Second World War.
This marks an event of epochal proportions
in Russian history...
as more than 20 million Russians
lost their lives in this war.
Every family lost someone.
This sign marks a residence
of a veteran, a war hero.
Overwhelmed by memories of the war,
he can no longer speak.
As if responding fo the shots
fired in celebration...
the ice of the Yenisey River
begins fo break.
An entire landscape
starts to move north...
towards the Arctic Ocean.
Spring is the time to build dugout canoes.
This man, Gennady Tiganov...
belongs to the Ket native population
of this part of Siberia.
He is their last remaining
expert boat builder.
Tools and fechniques being used
are all traditional,
It is essential to hollow out
the precise amount and no more.
Markings point out the positions of dowels
which will be driven info the hull.
From the inside, this tells the boat maker
how deep he can carve.
One of the last steps
is the widening of the canoe.
Exposing the body to heat
makes the shape of the canoe permanent
What remains is a layer of tar
The hunters head out to test their new canoes
with some fishing and duck hunting.
This week-long expedition
ls also the first time...
these pups are being taken
out into the wilderness.
The nets have been out overnight..
And, by morning,
ice has formed around them.
But it's a good time of year
for catching pike and other fish.
The most delicate fish will be smoked
for the season fo come.
Summer brings an abundance of life.
This is a sable in short summer fur.
Come winter, it will be
the main quarry of the trappers.
Even though the hunter
does not want to go for the reindeer...
his dog can't help but give chase.
He has no chance, but try he must.
Preparations are in full swing
for the upcoming trapping season.
This means stocking up
on as much fish as you can catch...
to feed both man and dog.
Some of the pike can be real specimens.
Negotiating the shallows of the river
becomes a real problem.
the propeller has to be protected
Summer is the season for the hunters
fo help each other build new cabins.
The real challenge are the mosquitoes—
clouds of them.
The hunters are so seff-reliant that they
make virtually everything themselves.
Chain saws are one of the few
modern tools they use.
As there is no corner drugstore...
the hunters have to make
their own insect repelent.
The bark of birch trees
can be processed...
to produce a far
which is equally as effective out there.
Gennady now resumes
the making of his skis.
He puts the tip of the plank
into boiling water for a few hours...
in order fo make if pliable.
He passes this age-old technique
on to his son.
From further upriver comes driftwood.
The villagers gather it
as free firewood for the winter.
The few remaining Ket people
earn money this way.
It's one of the few menial jobs
left for them.
They have largely forgotten
their traditional craftsmanship...
and most of them
have problems with alcohol
Only a single old Ket woman is left
who still remembers the old ways.
These mysterious dolls are protective spirits.
During day, they sleep...
but at night they awaken
to guard the home.
That night, her son is careless
with a cigarette but...
And their house catches fire.
Yet, another loss
is more painful for him.
Summer in it's fullest display—
swallows, boats.
Daylight lasts 20 hours.
This is the time
when big ships show up...
some of them even tourist cruisers.
It's gardening season.
Greenhouses are being fixed
and manure spread
With the days so abundantly long...
vegetables grow here
at an incredible rate.
One of the first signs that the short summer
is coming to an end...
ls the chipmunks out collecting pine nuts.
Humans do the same in their own way.
The trappers can estimate
from the number of cones...
whether it's going to be
a good hunting year or not...
as the nuts are a staple food
for the sable.
Grinding the cones
makes it easier to get the nuts...
which provide another food source
for the hunters during the winter.
Pouring the grounds into the wind..
is similar fo separating the wheat
from the chaff.
Now the first rains start.
Summer will soon be over.
So while the river is still navigable...
a strange visitor arrives with company.
It is a candidate seeking reelection.
For four years, people in Bakhtia have not seen
a single politician caring for them...
but, here now, there is one campaigning
vigorously for their votes.
He promises transparent government
and the expunging of corruption-
a clean leadership once and for all.
But he does not fall to deliver
the goods anyway-
sacks of wheat for his constituency
and even a little show.
Only the young people
seem to be able to get into the groove.
And now the candidate
bursts out in song himseff..
Backed by his cheerleaders.
The voters, apparently, couldn't care less.
Fall has arrived.
It is time to harvest...
and begin serious preparations
for the fast-approaching cold.
Days grow short,
and fishing ls good now.
At night, the trappers go out
onto the river.
Every type of fish has its specific time
when if comes close to the shore.
The only species of freshwater cod
can be stalked now...
using almost prehistoric tools.
The light of the fire attracts the fish.
Storms from the north suddenly set in.
The clouds carry rain
that falls for weeks...
and this is important for the hunters.
The level of the river rises...
and now they can transport
their heavy gear into the wilderness.
The most important things, like bread,
are loaded fast.
The trappers order bread in advance
from the bakery.
Half a loaf per day will do.
And now comes the moment of departure.
The occasion is celebrated with vodka—
vicious as jet fuel,
Now out on their own...
the trappers become
what they essentially are— happy people.
Accompanied only by their dogs,
they live off the land.
They are completely self-reliant.
They are truly free.
No rules, no taxes, no government...
no laws, no bureaucracy.
No phones, no radio.
Equipped only with their individual values
and standard of conduct.
Mikhail Tarkovsky—
from the family of the famous filmmaker—
Knows what it takes fo live out here.
And the first thing is to be able
to navigate the river in high water.
Anatoly Blume sets out
on a different tributary of the Yenisey...
and Gennady and his son
on their respective branch of the river.
It's tough going.
In some places, the rapids are so strong...
that the outboard motor
cannot overcome the current.
So you have to have these long ropes.
Sometimes even the two of us
cannot drag it against the current.
It's a very hard river to run.
The rapids are so strong that you can only
cover 25 to 30 kilometers a day.
Gennady's son sets out
for his own territory further upriver.
'Every man has his own destiny,
his own plan, his own territory”..
Says Gennady in a pensive mood.
At this time of year,
the bears are still around...
posing a threat fo the trappers' provisions.
Bears are the real enemy of the trappers...
wreaking all kinds of havoc
to both hut and trap.
Gennady rewards his dogs
with the neck and feet of the Woodcock
For now, the river still flows free...
but the first signs of frost are appearing.
The trappers rush to catch
as much pike as they can...
mostly for their dogs.
Mikhail has his own unorthodox
fishing techniques.
The bears are no longer arouna,
having gone off info hibernation.
Provisions now can be stored
within easy reach.
The only threat are mice...
and the plastic will prevent them
from getting up the tree.
The onslaught of ice
puts Mikhail's boat in jeopardy.
It's time to secure it for the winter.
Mikhail uses a different,
more recognizable type of traditional trap.
The branches protect the trap
from getting snowed over.
The enormity of solitude sets in.
His only companion is his dog.
Back in the village.
Like the trappers out in the taiga...
the villagers must also
be completely self-refiant.
Because no supplies can be
brought in during the winter...
they must make everything they need
by hand.
Temperatures have dropped by now
below minus 50 degrees...
and the days are growing short.
The Yenisey River
ls completely frozen over...
but still provides fish in abundance.
Out in the taiga...
Gennady negotiates his territory
along his frozen tributary.
From here,
he will branch out to hunt sable.
The traps are laid out along loops...
that take a day to travel.
This way, he can safely reach
one of his outlying huts by nightfall.
The triggering device of his trap...
ls a primitive
yet sophisticated mechanism.
Hundreds of kilometers away
is Anatoly's hut.
He is in the middle
of his trapping season.
While we see
that he has no shortage of fish...
It is conspicuous how little
he gives his dog for breakfast.
The snowmobile is another one of the few
modern conveniences they employ...
but in this terrain, it has its limits.
Continuing his rounds on skis...
he resembles prehistoric man
from a diistant ice age.
Day in, day out— it is the same routine
of hard work in severe conditions.
But out here,
the trapper is one of the few...
to witness the beauty of space,
cold and silence.
Imagine, after being exhausted
at the end of a hard day...
you are coming home to this.
In the little remaining daylight,
he cannot possibly return to his main hut.
His only recourse is to fix this one.
Because Anatoly spent much
of the next day repairing his outlying hut...
it takes him until nightfall
to find his way back to his base hut.
It is the last day of December...
and unusually mild
at 33 degrees below zero.
Anatoly, like all the other trappers...
will return to the village
for New Year's Eve.
The voyage is 150 kilometers
along the frozen river...
and we should note that Anatoly's dog
never rides on the snowmobile.
He covers the entire distance
running behind.
At night, he is still running.
Finally, the village of Bakhtia
comes into view.
And here comes the dog.
For Gennady and all of them,
this is a happy return.
Christmas is celebrated in Russia
on January 6.
The entire village participates.
The stay for the trappers
will be a short one.
After a few days and nights...
they will return to the taiga
for the remaining months of winter.
This is the life they love.
Although it fooks like winter fo us,
it's already spring here.
The village is Jocated
in the heart of Siberia...
and we should keep in mind
that this colossal landmass...
ls one and a half times
the size of the United States.
The endless wilderness that surrounds
this place is known as the tajga.
No roads or train lines traverse it.
There are only two ways
to reach this outpost-
one ls by helicopter, the other by boat.
The expanse in the foreground
ls not solid ground...
but the frozen-over Yenisey River...
one of the largest waterways in Siberia.
It is only during
the few ice-free months of summer...
that boats can also reach Bakhlia.
Of the 300 or so inhabitants of this village...
a handful of them make their livelihood
as professional frappers.
One of these men is Gennady Solovyev.
Here he makes his way
info the wilderness...
across an enormous frozen river
He wants fo show us
an essential tool of his profession.
This Is the best time of the year...
for Gennadly fo find
the perfect piece of wood...
for the making of his all-important skis.
The ice covering the river
ls stilf solid...
making it easy fo travel
the vast distances...
the trappers need fo prepare for their work.
Unlike sport hunting...
preparation for professional trapping
ls a year-round job.
This ls Anatoly Blume.
He's tending one of his hunting cabins.
Here, he removes the winter snow
so that the roof will not cave in.
Firewood must be collected now
so that it can dry during the summer.
Each hunter has a base hut...
and a number of additional outlying huts
that need fo be maintained.
All the provisions here
have fo be secured against bears.
They don't use glass for the windows...
as glass ls easily broken
during transportation or by bears.
These are the claw marks
made by one of them.
In spring,
with the sun higher upon the horizon...
the snow becomes wet
and river water seeps through the ice.
Here, Gennadly builds one of his traps...
in the same simple manner
they have been builf for ages.
Gennady marks the location of his frap...
so he can find it at the beginning
of the hunting season.
His territory comprises
of some 1,500 square kilometers.
This area was consigned to him
during Communist times...
when he trapped for the state.
The hunters return fo the village.
Here, the kids enjoy a last chance
at ice-skating before the thaw.
May 1 marks a big day for Russia.
It is their tradlitional Labor Day
and marks the end of the winter.
Winter is burnt in effigy.
The appearance
of the first geese flying north...
ls a sure sign of spring.
This is followed quickly
by May 9th, Victory Day—
The day the German army surrendered...
bringing an end
fo the Second World War.
This marks an event of epochal proportions
in Russian history...
as more than 20 million Russians
lost their lives in this war.
Every family lost someone.
This sign marks a residence
of a veteran, a war hero.
Overwhelmed by memories of the war,
he can no longer speak.
As if responding fo the shots
fired in celebration...
the ice of the Yenisey River
begins fo break.
An entire landscape
starts to move north...
towards the Arctic Ocean.
Spring is the time to build dugout canoes.
This man, Gennady Tiganov...
belongs to the Ket native population
of this part of Siberia.
He is their last remaining
expert boat builder.
Tools and fechniques being used
are all traditional,
It is essential to hollow out
the precise amount and no more.
Markings point out the positions of dowels
which will be driven info the hull.
From the inside, this tells the boat maker
how deep he can carve.
One of the last steps
is the widening of the canoe.
Exposing the body to heat
makes the shape of the canoe permanent
What remains is a layer of tar
The hunters head out to test their new canoes
with some fishing and duck hunting.
This week-long expedition
ls also the first time...
these pups are being taken
out into the wilderness.
The nets have been out overnight..
And, by morning,
ice has formed around them.
But it's a good time of year
for catching pike and other fish.
The most delicate fish will be smoked
for the season fo come.
Summer brings an abundance of life.
This is a sable in short summer fur.
Come winter, it will be
the main quarry of the trappers.
Even though the hunter
does not want to go for the reindeer...
his dog can't help but give chase.
He has no chance, but try he must.
Preparations are in full swing
for the upcoming trapping season.
This means stocking up
on as much fish as you can catch...
to feed both man and dog.
Some of the pike can be real specimens.
Negotiating the shallows of the river
becomes a real problem.
the propeller has to be protected
Summer is the season for the hunters
fo help each other build new cabins.
The real challenge are the mosquitoes—
clouds of them.
The hunters are so seff-reliant that they
make virtually everything themselves.
Chain saws are one of the few
modern tools they use.
As there is no corner drugstore...
the hunters have to make
their own insect repelent.
The bark of birch trees
can be processed...
to produce a far
which is equally as effective out there.
Gennady now resumes
the making of his skis.
He puts the tip of the plank
into boiling water for a few hours...
in order fo make if pliable.
He passes this age-old technique
on to his son.
From further upriver comes driftwood.
The villagers gather it
as free firewood for the winter.
The few remaining Ket people
earn money this way.
It's one of the few menial jobs
left for them.
They have largely forgotten
their traditional craftsmanship...
and most of them
have problems with alcohol
Only a single old Ket woman is left
who still remembers the old ways.
These mysterious dolls are protective spirits.
During day, they sleep...
but at night they awaken
to guard the home.
That night, her son is careless
with a cigarette but...
And their house catches fire.
Yet, another loss
is more painful for him.
Summer in it's fullest display—
swallows, boats.
Daylight lasts 20 hours.
This is the time
when big ships show up...
some of them even tourist cruisers.
It's gardening season.
Greenhouses are being fixed
and manure spread
With the days so abundantly long...
vegetables grow here
at an incredible rate.
One of the first signs that the short summer
is coming to an end...
ls the chipmunks out collecting pine nuts.
Humans do the same in their own way.
The trappers can estimate
from the number of cones...
whether it's going to be
a good hunting year or not...
as the nuts are a staple food
for the sable.
Grinding the cones
makes it easier to get the nuts...
which provide another food source
for the hunters during the winter.
Pouring the grounds into the wind..
is similar fo separating the wheat
from the chaff.
Now the first rains start.
Summer will soon be over.
So while the river is still navigable...
a strange visitor arrives with company.
It is a candidate seeking reelection.
For four years, people in Bakhtia have not seen
a single politician caring for them...
but, here now, there is one campaigning
vigorously for their votes.
He promises transparent government
and the expunging of corruption-
a clean leadership once and for all.
But he does not fall to deliver
the goods anyway-
sacks of wheat for his constituency
and even a little show.
Only the young people
seem to be able to get into the groove.
And now the candidate
bursts out in song himseff..
Backed by his cheerleaders.
The voters, apparently, couldn't care less.
Fall has arrived.
It is time to harvest...
and begin serious preparations
for the fast-approaching cold.
Days grow short,
and fishing ls good now.
At night, the trappers go out
onto the river.
Every type of fish has its specific time
when if comes close to the shore.
The only species of freshwater cod
can be stalked now...
using almost prehistoric tools.
The light of the fire attracts the fish.
Storms from the north suddenly set in.
The clouds carry rain
that falls for weeks...
and this is important for the hunters.
The level of the river rises...
and now they can transport
their heavy gear into the wilderness.
The most important things, like bread,
are loaded fast.
The trappers order bread in advance
from the bakery.
Half a loaf per day will do.
And now comes the moment of departure.
The occasion is celebrated with vodka—
vicious as jet fuel,
Now out on their own...
the trappers become
what they essentially are— happy people.
Accompanied only by their dogs,
they live off the land.
They are completely self-reliant.
They are truly free.
No rules, no taxes, no government...
no laws, no bureaucracy.
No phones, no radio.
Equipped only with their individual values
and standard of conduct.
Mikhail Tarkovsky—
from the family of the famous filmmaker—
Knows what it takes fo live out here.
And the first thing is to be able
to navigate the river in high water.
Anatoly Blume sets out
on a different tributary of the Yenisey...
and Gennady and his son
on their respective branch of the river.
It's tough going.
In some places, the rapids are so strong...
that the outboard motor
cannot overcome the current.
So you have to have these long ropes.
Sometimes even the two of us
cannot drag it against the current.
It's a very hard river to run.
The rapids are so strong that you can only
cover 25 to 30 kilometers a day.
Gennady's son sets out
for his own territory further upriver.
'Every man has his own destiny,
his own plan, his own territory”..
Says Gennady in a pensive mood.
At this time of year,
the bears are still around...
posing a threat fo the trappers' provisions.
Bears are the real enemy of the trappers...
wreaking all kinds of havoc
to both hut and trap.
Gennady rewards his dogs
with the neck and feet of the Woodcock
For now, the river still flows free...
but the first signs of frost are appearing.
The trappers rush to catch
as much pike as they can...
mostly for their dogs.
Mikhail has his own unorthodox
fishing techniques.
The bears are no longer arouna,
having gone off info hibernation.
Provisions now can be stored
within easy reach.
The only threat are mice...
and the plastic will prevent them
from getting up the tree.
The onslaught of ice
puts Mikhail's boat in jeopardy.
It's time to secure it for the winter.
Mikhail uses a different,
more recognizable type of traditional trap.
The branches protect the trap
from getting snowed over.
The enormity of solitude sets in.
His only companion is his dog.
Back in the village.
Like the trappers out in the taiga...
the villagers must also
be completely self-refiant.
Because no supplies can be
brought in during the winter...
they must make everything they need
by hand.
Temperatures have dropped by now
below minus 50 degrees...
and the days are growing short.
The Yenisey River
ls completely frozen over...
but still provides fish in abundance.
Out in the taiga...
Gennady negotiates his territory
along his frozen tributary.
From here,
he will branch out to hunt sable.
The traps are laid out along loops...
that take a day to travel.
This way, he can safely reach
one of his outlying huts by nightfall.
The triggering device of his trap...
ls a primitive
yet sophisticated mechanism.
Hundreds of kilometers away
is Anatoly's hut.
He is in the middle
of his trapping season.
While we see
that he has no shortage of fish...
It is conspicuous how little
he gives his dog for breakfast.
The snowmobile is another one of the few
modern conveniences they employ...
but in this terrain, it has its limits.
Continuing his rounds on skis...
he resembles prehistoric man
from a diistant ice age.
Day in, day out— it is the same routine
of hard work in severe conditions.
But out here,
the trapper is one of the few...
to witness the beauty of space,
cold and silence.
Imagine, after being exhausted
at the end of a hard day...
you are coming home to this.
In the little remaining daylight,
he cannot possibly return to his main hut.
His only recourse is to fix this one.
Because Anatoly spent much
of the next day repairing his outlying hut...
it takes him until nightfall
to find his way back to his base hut.
It is the last day of December...
and unusually mild
at 33 degrees below zero.
Anatoly, like all the other trappers...
will return to the village
for New Year's Eve.
The voyage is 150 kilometers
along the frozen river...
and we should note that Anatoly's dog
never rides on the snowmobile.
He covers the entire distance
running behind.
At night, he is still running.
Finally, the village of Bakhtia
comes into view.
And here comes the dog.
For Gennady and all of them,
this is a happy return.
Christmas is celebrated in Russia
on January 6.
The entire village participates.
The stay for the trappers
will be a short one.
After a few days and nights...
they will return to the taiga
for the remaining months of winter.
This is the life they love.