The Belovs

Equally absorbing: an inside view, a highly acclaimed, blackly funny documentary from Russia. Its vivid depiction of farming life - and conditions - might have come from the pages of pre-revolutionary literature. Anna Feodorovna Belova, twice widowed, lives with her brother Mickhail Feodrovic. Two more brothers come to visit. Anna Feodorovna works all day. Her brothers drink tea, take a steam bath and discuss philosophy, politics and religion all night, wondering if there's `a measure to measure ordeals'. — B.G.

Offering a delightful yet provocative insight into the relationship of people and their surroundings, the film moves from the rythms and textures of country life to political and philosophical debate.

This tragi-comic study of a family, and through it the complexities of stability and change which face rural communities owes a great deal to thoughtful camera placement and an editing strategy that allows time for the characters to reveal themselves... Deceptively simple, the film touches upon a rich interplay of human and social issues with elegance anc charm. — Jury Citation, Joris Ivens Award, Amsterdam Documentary Festival