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The Book of the Sea

Available On:

VIMEO ON DEMAND (English Subtitles)

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Languages:

Russian
Inuit (Siberian Yupik)
Chukchi
English subtitles 

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In the frigid waters off of Russia’s Bering Strait, Inuit and Chukchi hunters still seek out the giant sea mammals that sustained their people since time immemorial. Life meets myth as a new generation of hunters sets out to sea to hunt the whales, walruses, and seals that have tied them to these remote shores since the beginning of time.

The contemporary story of elders Alexander and Alexei blends seamlessly with that of “the woman who gave birth to a whale” and other ancient myths, told here in vivid animation, in this ongoing struggle for survival and preservation of a traditional lifestyle in one of the most remote places on earth.

This unique animadoc from director Aleksei Vakhrushev is a spectacular and visually impressive cinematic story about the vitality of the ancient Arctic culture.

Produced by High Latitudes Ltd.
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Script Writer and Director Aleksei Vakhrushev
Directors of Photography Vyacheslav Makaryev, Ruslan Fedotov
Art Director and Lead Animator Eduard Belyayev
Music by Alexander Tavrizyan
Edit by Julia Trofimenko
Sound by Mariya Ushenina, Sergei Ovcharenko
Executive Producers Svetlana Yakovleva, Lyudmila Veber
Producer Aleksei Vakhrushev

Directors Statement
The history of the indigenous peoples of Chukotka of the last hundred years – is the story of the alienation of these peoples from their roots. Our film is about overcoming of this alienation, weaving together two storylines and techniques: Documentary and Clay Animation. I am strongly convinced that preserving the Cultural identity and spiritual heritage is one of the most important topics of a modern human.
 

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