Nebesnye zheny lugovykh mari

The past decade is a stellar period of the talented original director Aleksey Fedorchenko. The film "Celestial Wives of the Meadow Weeds" consists of 39 (!) Short stories, contemporary and folklore, funny and sad, from the life of a small but proud Mari people living in the very heart of Russia on the banks of the great Volga River.

Excellent movie. This film is a unique excursion into a pagan traditions and folklore of Mari El people. (a small republic in Russian region) Sometimes it's humorous and sometimes erotic, and some will make you cry. It is also shoot in their native language. The cast is amazing - the real faces of the region, as well as the costumes. 23 short novels - 23 heroines. This film is dedicated to women - the love and death rituals, rites of passage that survived in modern society, it's all happening in the girls world - as the women are the ones who always keep the tradition. They contain the magic in their nature, believe in it and make it happen.

Based on the premise and structure of the film, there's no way this should have worked. But after seeing it at TIFF, this film is nothing short of spectacular. It's hard to take one's eyes off it as it shifts short vignettes of these different women - some funny, others terrifying and many emotional. The film is not always easily understood, but is always engaging and genuine. I felt incredibly sad to have had to rush to another screening of an ultimately inferior film and missed the Q&A with this fine director. However, judging by this, he'll have a powerful career and hopefully make a name for Russian cinema around the world.

Blimey; what is going on here in this corner of the Russian (Mari area / province) federation?

A pretty good 'Women's Day' choice of the female lot, since virtually all female sexually driven vignettes*, although with the connection between them all that only becomes eventually apparent toward the end: by which: RECOMMENDATION: so would recommend / caution you, to enjoy / realise, then DON'T read any synopsis beforehand;

but just let wash over you, sit through the purpose to be seen / common theme on display being - seemingly - such varied manifestations of (pagan belief?) female desire, sexuality expression*; ranging over and insofar as: weird literal flights of fancy, woodland terrors, 'death becomes her' (?!), and - presumably - fantasising flirting fertility (husband selection!) like rituals .. ("They've turned into guys again! They've spilled our kissel!" What?!)

All in all, these vignettes add up to a quite perplexing, bewildering range of femininity and their wiles: and overall, how women seem to, ah, accommodate, their sexual desiring, sexually driven partners.

Despite this apparent titillation, you may find, is it all really worth sitting through, watching these largely village wenches enact their region's odd sexually based mores? (Although, apparently, all, or most, the invention of director Fedorchenko, and as based on screenwriter, from his own book, Denis Osokin. **)

Yet, yes, it is; as still, perhaps the main point to watch this all the way through is if for only the final 'reveals' of the 'stars' - (having - sometimes, possibly - played?) - themselves***: for it alone, it's absolutely utterly wonderful (Ormachiya's giggling! Ahh.) and completely well worth the waiting for!

Brilliant; for in its way, a female centric, fascinating 'feminist' theme.

* except for one, almost 'exception that proves the rule', I like to think: yett still in it, the ladies' perspective!

** for as for the brief, almost 'blink and you'll miss it' toadstools one, with seemingly far too young girl to know what she is to announce .. well, really; .. what can you say (Denis / Aleksey) ...?

*** Yana Esipovich as just briefly, 'Oshvika', has for example, previous appearance in 'Dry Valley' (also reviewed, too, hereunder.)

(P. S. Gotta share; buxom 'Oshalyak's 'journey' was my favourite.)