Days of Eclipse

Plot

A recently qualified medical doctor, Dmitri Malyanov, has taken a posting to a remote and very poor part of Soviet Turkmenistan. On top of his day job as a pediatrician Malyanov is undertaking research into the effects of religious practice on human health. His research has drawn the politically incorrect conclusion that religious faith does indeed improve health. However, as he attempts to write up his thesis, various sorts of improbable, bizarre events take place one after another. Malyanov perceives that some force is preventing him from completing his research.

Production

In the novel, the protagonist who works on research in astrophysics is similarly confounded by a mysterious force trying to interfere and impede the research. The movie is filmed using unusual cinematographic techniques. In a half-documentary manner, where black-and-white frames are mixed with color, Sokurov pictured the life of wretched town in Turkmenia, sick children, psychiatric clinic and the Desert, which is populated with a mix of sounds in the background - radio retranslations, symphonic music and multilingual voices.

Cast

The film features a cast of non-professionals.

Awards