Inga Shepeleva’s film “White Steamer” will premiere on screens starting June 19th. The movie, which participated in the main competition of the 48th São Paulo International Film Festival and was presented at the “Mayak” festival in Gelendzhik, explores cultural clashes and unexpected connections in a Yakut city during the Perestroika era.
The film centers on the conflict between a newly appointed director from Moscow and the head of a local children’s choir. Alexander Koshkidko plays the director, who arrives to modernize the local music school, while Ella Sokolova, a non-professional actress and music teacher, portrays Marta Grigoryevna, the choir leader.
The central point of contention revolves around the Soviet song “White Steamer”. Marta Grigoryevna deeply cherishes the song and wants to keep it in the choir’s repertoire, while the new director seeks to introduce changes.
The narrative unfolds in the backdrop of a city in Yakutia during the Perestroika. It explores themes of tradition versus progress, and the unexpected connections that can form between seemingly disparate cultures, Sakha and Russian. Through a shared experience, they begin to understand and connect with each other. Both characters face difficult decisions, weighing familiar traditions against the uncertainties of the future.
Based on Shepeleva’s novel written at age 21, the film draws heavily from her personal experiences growing up in the Sakha Republic and attending music school. The director later adapted her novel into a short film script and eventually expanded it into her feature-length directorial debut.
Filmed on location in Yakutsk, the production crew captured both the spring ice drift on the Lena River and the extreme winter conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -57 degrees Celsius.
The film crew also prioritized environmental sustainability during production. They calculated their carbon footprint, utilized reusable dishes, and sorted all waste, earning the film the Grand Prix at the Murmansk “Green Screen” environmental film competition.