Бэркэ

Directed by Nikita Aniskin

Produced by FSRC

A documentary portrait of a Yakutian wolf hunter navigating the collision between traditional indigenous life and digital-age fame, as he confronts both literal and mythic threats to his community.

The small village of Khatystyr in the forests of southern Yakutia has long been considered the land of the Evenki. Recently, popular ethnobloggers have emerged here, sharing stories of Tungus culture with hundreds of thousands of followers online. Timofey Ivanovich is over sixty. He is a wolf hunter, and so he adopted the online pseudonym Berke (Evenk for "wolf"). Berke is an old-timer, a keeper of traditions, respected and called upon at crucial moments. Now such a moment has arrived: the wolves have returned. Hungry packs are crushing reindeer and moving toward the village. Berke ventures alone into the taiga to drive off the predators. In his real world, he has only a rifle and a video camera. And in his virtual world, there are millions of views and thousands of comments. This is the story of how a keeper of national myths saves his small people from the scourge of wolves, and ultimately becomes a new folk legend himself.