THE POSTMAN'S WHITE NIGHTS

A little settlement on Kenozero Lake in Northern Russia – war veterans, drinkers and dirt-poor fishermen live here, and Lyokha, who earns a humble living as a postman, representing as such the only connection to the outside world for the small community. In this isolated region where everybody knows everybody, that means having to cover long distances over water by boat and supplying the villagers with bread, their meagre pensions or vodka in addition to bringing them their mail. The awkward and friendly recovering alcoholic Lyokha feels secure, though sometimes lonely too. A silent love connects him with a former classmate from days long past, who is raising her small son alone and dreaming of a better life in the city. When his outboard motor is stolen one day, it spells disaster for Lyoka – how is he supposed to work now? Shot with a cast of exclusively non-professional actors from the region, Andrey Konchalovsky’s documentary-like feature film doesn’t so much tell an actual story –more than that, with its breath-taking and poetic images it shows the beauty and vastness of nature and the fragile world of the “little” people.