Sonnenstadt

Regiekommentar
»At first, I was fascinated by this group of people, who in this day and age believe that Christ was reborn and lives among them in this remote place. I wanted to find out how they live and if they are happy. But soon and almost imperceptibly, the fate of the entire country wove itself into the film. Why did I travel to the Abode of Dawn four times and why did I want to go a fifth? It had less to do with Vissarion and more with the hopes and dreams of his disciples. What were they searching for? Can they find it in the Abode of Dawn, in this attempt to build a better society? Slowly but surely, the outside world pushes back into their lives and will not let them go. I observed a phenomenon and tried to understand it. Did I succeed? What stayed with me is their longing. By building the Abode of Dawn, Vissarion’s followers attempted to do something that I respect: To live their utopia. Maybe I'm even envious. The subject of the film is an ambivalent phenomenon and it describes it in an ambivalent way. I did not intend to push any point of view onto the audience. I neither glorify nor destroy what I show. The film shows the strengths and weaknesses of a utopia. I give viewers freedom for their own interpretation. The film has many layers. Its evolution spans five shoots over nine years. There are fourteen protagonists, as well as other, smaller characters. It covers a multitude of themes: the belief in the rebirth of a messiah, society and its rules, daily life in the rural Taiga region, self-sufficiency, Armageddon, family, gender rules, the outside world conflicting with the inner self – the list goes on. The film unfolds calmly and with ease. Despite the wide variety of protagonists and topics, it does not feel overloaded. The viewer gets to know this community in an intimate way. A community whose longing for an alternative lifestyle is the throughline of this film. It is important to me to emphasize that "Abode of Dawn" is not a film about a cult. It is a film that poses pivotal questions about life, questions I ask myself: How to live? How to act? And why?«