Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Germany, USA 1993, 60 min
by Werner Herzog

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, “mythomaniac” Werner Herzog travels to Siberia. Despite more than 70 years of Marxist-Leninist dogma, he finds a wide variety of religious practices that have survived communism. In addition to disciples of the Russian Orthodox church, he meets herders who consult with shamans before deciding on a direction of travel, as well as numerous miracle healers and itinerant preachers. They include a reborn Jesus Christ, a faith healer who sets free cosmic energy, an exorcist who fights the demons possessing women, and a former film projectionist who now favours people with his bell ringing. Herzog takes a close look at Lake Svetloyar, whence church bells purportedly sound from the lost city of Kitezh submerged there – as long as pilgrims approach on their knees.Authentic spirituality is woven together with charlatanism. The former gives Herzog insight into the “Russian soul”. At the same time, with his profound flair for showmanship, he boosted the entertainment value of his film when, unable to find any real pilgrims, he hired some admittedly drunken locals and had them belly crawl across the ice of the frozen lake.