Nochnaja Pjesa
Xenia Okhapkina
Russia | 2013 | 21 min
World premiere
Language : Russian
Subtitles : English, French
Valaam is an island in the north of Russia in the Republic of Karelia. On the island lives permanently a small community of 600 souls made of monks and families who fight in order to claim their right to stay on their land. On Christmas Eve, they take part in a performance that celebrates their life, their traditions and the hope for a better future.
Valaam is an island in the north of Russia that lies within the Republic of Karelia. Its name derives from the Finno-Ugric word ‘valamo‘ which means the high mountain ground. It is an archipelago in the northern portion of Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europa. On the island lives permanently a small community of, more or less, 600 souls made up of monks and families. The spiritual center of Valaam is the stauropegic orthodox Valamo Monastery. It has a unique tradition of singing (the Valaam Chant) that mixes some elements of the Byzantine and Znamenny chants. But over the past few years the way of life on the island has been endangered. Monks and the other inhabitants have been fighting in order to claim their right to stay on their land. On Christmas Eve, the population of the island takes part in a performance that celebrates their life, their tradition and the hope for a better future. Past and present merge together creating a dreamlike texture of voices, bodies and gestures. Director Xenia Okhapkina evokes a powerful image of a microcsom living at the edge of the world.
Giona A. Nazzaro
