Sofia’s review published on Letterboxd:
In a rough sketched quality, Petrov crafts a world steeped in a damp darkness. Figures hiss and yell in the dark and a man trundles along, thinking solely of suicide. But before he can rid himself of his bitter world, he dreams... Propelled into a world far from earth, though seemingly of the same substance, he stumbles upon harmony, peace. People bathe in sunlight, strolling in serenity, living in utter tranquility. But unknowing and unseeing, this man’s very presence leaves behind the traces of corruption, stringing along the bitterness and hatred of earth. From serenity, this world dissolves into savagery.
It seems that to be of the earth is to have a fundamental inheritance of corruption— of self-loathing, of masochism, of sin. The once peaceful creatures laugh, and this haunting sound contaminates the forests. They begin to howl like wolves, wielding their masks of deceit, never ceasing in their crazed laughter. Bodies flail— fervent, alien, insane. Rapidly, the laughter dissolves into yelling, weeping. And thus begins the descent of man.
It is as if that man in his invasion had awakened something inside of these blissful creatures— as if all it took was a mere gasp of recognition and the serenity would turn to savagery. How quickly, how easily can chaos take hold. We have madness within us, anger that cannot be suppressed. Knowledge is superior to sensation... cognisance of life is superior to life itself, they chant, now aware though tragically disconnected.
Can we be beautiful and happy whilst we are creatures of the earth? Or is our foundational state one of darkness? Human state of nature is a notion much debated, and perhaps it is entirely impossible to revert back to whatever ‘state’ is intrinsic to us. Perhaps we are too far gone, so consumed by greed and bitterness we have become. To wander alone in the forest is still to be contaminated by that sickly stench of humanity, no matter how deep into nature you try to delve, you will still find those corrupting remnants clinging to your skin. But maybe it isn’t entirely incomprehensible for us to be creatures of bliss and perfection... Upon awakening, the man is propelled into a fervent faith, striving for that salvation he saw wrenched before his eyes. Perhaps it is a kind of senseless responsibility he feels having been the one to plant those seeds of corruption, or perhaps it is a desperate striving to revert back to that blissful state he witnessed in all its purity.
Thoughts that have plagued me since reading the book, and that have reawakened upon watching the film;
Centuries do not warrant wisdom— though we know more, we are no smarter. Knowledge is not liberation— we must remain partly in the dark.
They say I was dreaming, deluded, hallucinating... A dream? What is a dream? You mean, our life is not what we see when we sleep?
(A short film based on Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece - a book that holds a special place in my souls and that I would fervently recommend - it’s very short and can be read in a day. Also the voiceover for the version I watched on youtube was narrated by Alexander Kaidanovsky from Stalker which is cool :) .)