AllMovie

The well-known writer Alexandre Dovjenko died before his screenplay for Poema O More could be transformed into a filmed drama, and so his widow, Yulia Solnsteva took on the task with dedication and a clear understanding of what her husband had intended. At the crux of the routine drama is a small town that is about to go under when a major dam is completed and the area is flooded, creating a sizeable lake. As people return to say good-bye to the lives and the homes they once knew in the town, differences of opinion on the sacrifice they made crop up. At stake is the "Russian" way of life and whether or not progress should include this type of sacrifice for the common good.