A Triumph of Faith

For over 600 years, faithful Christians have made an annual 120-mile pilgrimage through the forests of Russia to the place where an elderly peasant discovered an icon of St. Nicholas in the year 1380. That year there was an abundant harvest, and the pilgrims come to give thanks for this blessing and to experience spiritual purification. Bells signal the departure from a Russian Orthodox church; the beginning of an arduous 5 day journey, broken only by short breaks for services in abandoned churches along the way. All this is captured in an exquisite pictorial tapestry of country landscapes, individual character portraits, and aerial views of the pilgrimage trail, framed by religious choral music and the melody of caroling church bells. At the conclusion of the journey, the pilgrims celebrate in prayer, bathing in the sacred waters of the site's river and performing ablutions and baptisms. While the unquenchable faith of the participants is emphasized throughout, the film begs the question about the future of faith in Russia, now that there is freedom to worship. Younger audiences may find the pace too slow, but devout Christians will find it inspiring, and film lovers of all persuasions will find this little known slice of life an aesthetic pleasure. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)