CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI

They believe in magic birch-trees and in shamans, in the power of spells and the wisdom of nature. Above all they believe in life. And combine these beliefs with a very healthy appetite for sex. The women round which this film revolves belong to the Mari people, a Volga-Finnic minority in northern Russia. They have names like Orazvi, Odocha, Onalcha or Okalche, and all live in the same remote village. The things that happen to them –and around them – are mysterious and fascinating. One woman’s husband can’t keep his hands off her, so she puts a spell on him. He falls into a waking coma. Another woman breastfeeds her boyfriend as a way of making spring come sooner. A mother discovers a bird between her legs and feeds it breadcrumbs. One young girl has the wind for a lover and simply takes flight. The story of these wild, strong and crazy women is told in 22 episodes linked solely by the shared location. The women are lead actors in a heathen spectacle so sensual and zany it almost takes your breath away.