Autumn on Ob River

Near the mouth of the Ob River in north-western Siberia, just above the polar circle, live the northernmost of 22,500 Khanty people. Here, survival is a daily challenge given the harsh polar climate and the unpredictable nature of post-Soviet Russia. Like many of their neighbouring kinsmen, the Tobolko family is a part of a fishing brigade, but pay is low and irregular and sometimes even months late. Even so, they still persevere in their traditional Arctic economy, where hunting and reindeer herding supplement the fishing activities. The film follows the autumnal life of a Khanty family from the end of the fishing season through to the move to winter quarters.