The vast territories of Pinega river in the North of Russia are covered with woods and inhabited more by wild animals than by people, who live mostly from the forests themselves, fishing, and gardening. The society can only be described as a matriarchy, where beliefs, spells, traditional mourner, and weeping at the funeral are passed on down the female line. Musical contributions of the residents serve as a leitmotif for the film. Unsteady renditions of old songs show that public performances belong to a distant past. The population of the villages has aged considerably – nowadays, only the cattle are young. But the place itself is timeless.