Matyoroy is a small village on a beautiful island with the same name. The party has decreed that the island shall be flooded for a hydro-electric dam. This story focuses on the inhabitants of Matyoroy, who watch the disassembling of their village. Darya (Stanyuta) is a grandmother who does not want to leave her ancestor's graves behind, but she cannot get anyone to help her move them to the mainland. She becomes the center of a group of islanders who do not want to move. Her son, Pinegin (Durov) is tapped to be the foreman of the crew preparing the island for submersion by the local party leader. They are supposed to disinfect the cemetery, cut down all of the tall trees, remove all of the people and livestock then burn all of the dwellings and barns. The residents move reluctantly, slowly harvesting their grain, digging their potatoes, and boarding up their houses. But a few, with Darya at their center dawdle so long that the island is flooded with them on it. They chose remaining with their forbearers to moving to the mainland. This film had some possibilities, but it ended up dark, heavy and leaden. Difficult to follow at first, it became weighted with symbolism, mysticism, fire, fog and overly dramatic music. I would have hoped that it would have been better if Larisa Shepitko had been able to complete the film. At least the shots of her first day of work with the cast shown in the short tribute "Larisa" seemed more interesting than the footage shot by her husband after her death.
