“Sometimes it seems as if Latgale is a country surrounded by an ocean, and sometimes it seems like a desert with an ark buried in sand, harbouring people to be saved.” Latgale lies at the eastern end of Latvia, an isolated and impoverished region, considered to be backward, where the population speaks a dialect that is often mocked. Once, the Jewish population in the villages was as high as 90 percent. Today, most residents are deeply pious Russian Orthodox Old Believers who once fled Russian persecution. Director Viesturs Kairish portrays them with care, showing us a pious people whose life seems defined almost exclusively by religion. We see processions for the Virgin Mary, Sunday mass and funerary meals, and hear much pealing of the bells. This is a spiritual documentary, filled with expressive images that also pay homage to the unique landscape of the region.