The Ballad of Bering Strait

In Nina Gilden Seavey's documentary profile, the teenage members of the Russian country music collective Bering Strait flee their frigid middle class lives in Obninsk for the unlimited freedom of Nashville, only to end up living 10 to a house, caught up in a power struggle at Arista Records, and indifferently crushed by the bureaucracy of capitalism. The Ballad of Bering Strait isn't really interested in why these classically-trained performers are so passionate about a genre that seems fundamentally American (and there's no exploration of any irony here), nor does the film dwell on fish-out-of-water complications; rather, the focus is on the ongoing string of broken contracts, in-band squabbles, and shattered dreams. Fortunately, the unique personalities of the musicians are able to transcend the filmmaker's pedestrian instincts here, with rebellious, head-shaving singer Natasha and soulful banjo-whiz Ilya emerging as the film's stars, while Arista/Nashville President Tim DuBois is presented as the ogre trying to keep these kids down. In true triumph-of-the-human-spirit form, the film builds to a cathartic live performance. Although utterly conventional in most respects, the documentary is saved by the unexpectedly successful cultural fusion in the music produced by these genuinely talented kids. DVD extras include exclusive concert footage. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (D. Fienberg)