IN REINDEER SHAPE ACROSS THE SKY depicts several "Nenəj nenəče" (Nenets people) whose poems and songs flow from their experience of everyday life on a Soviet reindeer farm. For Markku Lehmuskallio, the film represented the beginning of a new phase in his life, both personally and creatively. While shooting, he met Anastasia Lapsui, whose mother Maria plays a central role in the film. The director lets things play out according to their own rhythm – working with animals and singing both last as long as they need to. In the process, a culture holding its own against the current of history is rendered both audible and visible.
