Bulgarian writer/director Milko Lazarov crafts an affecting tale of love, ice and isolation, set against Siberia’s striking tundra.

Every day, reindeer hunter Nanook searches for food along the frosty plains. Back in their modest yurt, his wife Sedna keeps the household running. When they’re together each night, the elderly couple huddle close, reliving their dreams, telling local myths and cherishing their memories. It’s a tough routine, but they’re content; however, Nanook won’t speak about their long-absent daughter Ága. Alas, Sedna’s desire to reunite their family is sparked by a secret: the wound in her abdomen that just won’t heal.

Nodding to seminal documentary Nanook of the North while relaying its own decidedly fictional narrative, Lazarov’s second feature proves an involving personal drama as well as a finely observed ode to fading traditions. Each frame is filled with the texture of life – including weathered but welcoming faces and unforgiving yet beautiful landscapes – making the quietly moving feature an exquisite, unmissable sight on the big screen.

"A winning combination of the cosily intimate and the sublimely epic." – The Hollywood Reporter