Arseny Tarkovsky

Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, a place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers, and where the normal laws of physics are victim to frequent anomalies. A stalker guides two men into the Zone, specifically to an area in which deep-seated desires are granted.

A dying man in his forties recalls his childhood, his mother, the war and personal moments that tell of and juxtapose pivotal moments in Soviet history with daily life.

The camera floats quietly to capture the beauty that emerges from the mundane. Accompanied by Ryuichi Sakamoto's composition, Arseny Tarkovsky's poem celebrates life.

In December 1941. For five days from the front line in besieged Leningrad arrives for re-forming company. The soldiers are placed in barracks outside the city. A young soldier Alexei Kazantsev pays attention to the girl Olya. She comes to the barracks every day to see her father, Private Koshkin, who among the St. Petersburg volunteers is going to go to the front. Olya is sick, and from hunger she can hardly stand on her feet. Koshkin gives her his tiny ration, which is given to soldiers. Alexei meets Olga and does his best to save the girl. On the eve of Alexei's return to the front, Olga becomes his wife.