Armenian director, Artavazd Peleshian's earliest short documentary, this depicts the efforts of workers to secure the cliff-faces next to train lines through the mountains to avoid avalanches. While clearly a documentary, there is almost no dialogue, voice-over or titles, so specific details of where and when these events are occurring is hard to know. Regardless, the images are striking, and the extreme danger of the work involved is very apparent. While Peleshian's later work is more pure montage, the editing here is mostly linear and relatively conventional. Nonetheless, his ability to tell a compelling story, build tension and transmit meaning without words is admirable. At ten minutes, this is a brief but fascinating insight into a world rarely seen.
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