Dina, a poor farm girl, lives with her father on a remote farm in the middle of present day Kazakhstan but was a part of the Soviet Union when the movie took place in 1949. Tolgat, Dina's father, is a farmer and used to fly planes. While never stated, it is assumed Tolgat fought in
World War II. Both Dina and Tolgat show little emotion throughout the film. They have experienced trauma and the isolation is brutal. Latest times Tolgat often comes home with such intense burns that he is unable to walk. It's not explicitly stated but it's very probably
radiation burn. Especially because last time he delivered on the track and dies shortly probably from
acute radiation syndrome. Dina also has two love interests. Kaisyn is a local who comes from a similar background to Dina. His relationship with her shows more of a passionate and intense intimacy, while her second love interest with Max represents a more goofy and lighthearted love. Being blue eyed and Caucasian, he is clearly not from the same area of the Soviet Union and ultimately ends up with Dina in the ends of the movie when a nuclear bomb explodes wiping out Dina's home and everything with it. There are many themes that are used in this film in order to implicitly show Dina's emotions. One of these themes is nature and her strong attachment to it. Dina is one with nature as a result of her extreme isolation. The vast farm land of nothingness adds to the feeling of isolation. There is a lack of infrastructure and people, preventing any real interaction with the world besides the characters present in the film. This minimal interaction presented creates more of an urge for Dina's dreams of leaving. She uses it in her artwork to represent her future ambitions of escaping the area she lives in. Her artwork is also an indication of the creativity she develops, as she uses the elements of nature in her work to present to viewers her feelings of wanting more without directly speaking on her emotions. Another theme is "actions speak louder than words", as cliché as it sounds. The element of no dialogue drastically adds to the feeling of isolation because viewers are solely left to observe the scenery, objects, and the action of characters. There are many opportunities for viewers to ponder and contemplate on the characters' actions and emotions since there are no conversations. With the absence of dialogue, there is additional work done with the framing distance, lighting, color, camera angles, and editing to assure that viewers think critically about how its mise en scène contributes to telling the story of the film without words adding to the story. Overall, no dialogue adds to the element of loneliness and detachment that may reflect the emptiness of this time period. Another theme is her ambition to travel. There is a large World map in her room that she often gazes at. Dina additionally includes Indian dancing rituals and exotic fish in the collages she makes. Tolgat is also a pilot, so it seems as though travel should be more accessible, which makes her longing to escape more drastic. == Cast ==