Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
Seen it?2010 | 94 min | Documentary
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- One for people who like a story that's man versus the elements and animal lovers. The tension comes from simply getting through the next day. Sits nicely alongside The Dawn Wall. More of a critics' pick than a crowd-pleaser: worth it if you like something a little different.
- The mood
- Eye-opening.
- The pace
- Well paced for a documentary, at 1 hr 34 min.
- What might put you off
- Skip it if you want made-up drama tonight.
In the center of the story is the life of the indigenous people of the village Bakhtia at the river Yenisei in the Siberian Taiga. The camera follows the protagonists in the village over a period of a year. The natives, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, keep living their lives according to their own cultural traditions.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
Our audience score: 63%
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$339K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 30K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov
- Werner HerzogNarrator (voice)
- Gennady SolovievSelf - Trapper #1
- Anatoly BlumeiSelf - Trapper #2
- Gennady TiganovSelf - Native Boat Builder
- Mikhail TarkovskySelf - Trapper #3