简介：It'saveryunusualmovieinmanyrespects.Theproductionyearis1969,theheightoftheSovietregime,hard-lineideologyhadtriumphedinPragueandsomemodestgainsduringKhruschev's"ottepel"/thawwerequicklybeingdismantled. AndallofasuddenweseeonthescreenamountainvillageintheheartofDagestan,asmallautonomousrepublicontheCaspiansea(yes,thatsameareawheretheRussiansarefightinglocalIslamicguerrillasnow-well,mostofyouwillhavetocheckyourknowledgeofgeography,sinceitisgenerallynon-existent).Guesswhat,it'sthe60sandthereisvirtuallynoSovietpowertospeakof.Itwasatruestatementthen,butsomethingthattheSovietregimewouldneverwanttoacknowledge,particularlyonscreen.Howtheheckthismoviesneakedpastthecensorship-stillbeatsme,theremustbeaninterestingstorytotell. Moreover,thevillagersliveaccordingtoSharialaw,themovie,althoughinaverycomicalway,portraystheconditionofthewomanintheIslamicsovietrepublic.ThewholestorylineisbasedontheobscureShariacustomofmarriage.Iwaspuzzledandsurprisedwatchingthis. It'saverywarmmovieinitsportrayalofpeopleandvillagelife.Itfeelsuntypicallyauthenticandvoidofanyhintofpropaganda.Eventhesoviet-typeendingfitswellandisquitebelievable.Inanycase,nothingchangesmuchaboutthesepeople,justafewminorthings.Wearein2009,andthisisastrueasitwasbackthen.…