This film is part of our series THE FUTURE WE LIVE IN, showing in March and April at De Uitkijk.
Based on the sci-fi novel Definitely Maybe by the Strugatsky brothers (Stalker, Hard to Be a God), this film follows young doctor Dmitry Malyanov as he travels to a remote village in the deserts of Turkmenistan. There, he conducts research on the influence of religion on human health. However, instead of scientific revelations, he finds himself confronted with mysterious occurrences, strange omens, and a hostile environment that slowly pulls him deeper into a state of paranoia and existential doubt.
Unlike American sci-fi of the time—focused on spaceships and computers—this Soviet sci-fi film presents a deeply grounded vision of a disquieting, alienating future. Sokurov’s Days of Eclipse has a profoundly disorienting effect, creating an atmosphere of constant uncertainty, as if reality itself is slowly unraveling. The use of fragmented radio broadcasts, murmuring voices, and Yuri Khanon’s haunting score further amplifies this unsettling feeling.
"This is a strange film, mysterious beyond all limits. I watch it again and again, wandering inside it as if through a labyrinth of ruins." — Russian film critic Victor Bozhovich.