A Soviet film set in Kyrgyzstan, a place I'm not too familiar with and would be at a loss to point to on a map. I assumed central Asia near Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. And upon looking it up, yes, borders with China too and was part of the Soviet Union at the time. Anyway this film is an adaptation of a folk tale and is about a bunch of mountain folk living the hostile snowy conditions of the mountains. And I guess this was a particularly bad year for them as they are almost starving to death and are lured out of their camp by a deer they want to kill and eat. But fail and have to reach the nearest village to ask for food. And during their visit, a love story starts to develop and spring starts to melt the snow. It is indeed a fascinating film and a glimpse into a culture I really know little about. Although I have seen a few films from the general geographic region I really can't remember their names but can recall the imagery. Part of my early onset dementia I guess. Very well shot, poetic and lyrical. Full of high plains and snow and furry hats and waterfalls and scarfs and beads and those type of things. Events move along at a brisk pace and there is a spectacular inter-tribe night time battle which looks great. Riding on horseback as the village burns and people run around on fire etc. Definitely recommend checking it out.