This film bears witness to both the Soviet production system and censorship. The view of life on a collective farm depicted here seemed too bleak for the officials involved, and the film was not screened for two decades. What we see is an honest observation of country life presented in a wonderful visual form.
Different eras and geographical locations have their own dreamscapes. Here, however, the mythical El Dorado is a mining site. Tambek does not simply document miners’ lives, but creates an image of a secluded universe far away from social norms, one that engenders a unified space between reality and dream.
Eduard Wiiralt (1898-1954) is considered to be the most prominent master of Estonian graphic art in the first half of 20th century. Wiiralt's restless and intricate life is expressed through his work that is also the object and the main expressive means of the documentary.
