Synopsis

Life in Chernobyl. What sounds like a nightmare, is pure paradise for Igor. Trying to escape modern civilization, the 30-year old has found a peaceful home here a long time ago, abandoned, deserted and cut off from the rest of the world. But despite the peaceful idyll, his psychological issues never really let him come to rest. Igor ponders too much – about himself and the world. Moreover, he has to share his piece of heaven on earth: a number of elderly people, whose houses have almost disappeared behind sprawling plants by now, still live in the area. Long after the historical catastrophe, Viestur Kairish's documentary presents a forgotten place and its inhabitants as an invisible ghost town, as a carefully guarded and at the same time existential secret of being, of the way of life. Fantastic shots of abandoned places and landscapes, accompanied by impressive classic music, show the relationship between people and nature as well as the transience of civilization. At the same time, the feature provides insights into the simple life in a completely alien wilderness far from time and space. So far, that even the war raging in their own country appears infinitely distant to its inhabitants.

Guests

Viestur Kairish

Viestur Kairish
Director, writer Invisible City 
In Vienna: October 1-8