Tikhon Rokhvadze

The Russian North. A place of ancient forces, traditions and ceremonies. Here the song continuously accompanies man throughout life: from mortal lullaby-illusions and recruitment refrains to wedding motifs and funeral laments, helping to live through pain, to share pleasure and to comprehend life.

Doctor Ragin despairs in his attempts to treat the mentally ill until he meets an unusual patient, Ivan. Ivan tells him about his hallucinations, which in fact turn out to be real. Ragin plunges into the crazy world of his patient, but through self-sacrifice he finds hope in this world and becomes the closest person to Ivan.