Synopsis
PETROS (40) and ANNA (30) have moved to Norilsk from Athens a few months ago. Petros, a distinguished environmental engineer, rational and cool-headed, has undertaken an innovative project for the city’s heavy industrial plant.
Their lives are unexpectedly disrupted when Anna gets pregnant. They both know Petros can’t be the father. Their sexual life has been non-existent since their arrival in Norilsk.
Petros at first thinks Anna cheated on him but her shock about the inexplicable pregnancy and her evident love in him, makes Petros believe in her.
The two of them slowly take different paths in an effort to make sense of their situation. Anna, seeing Petros gradually drifting away from her trying to rationalize the inexplicable, finds comfort and peace in delving into the mystical nature of local beliefs who see her as a Saint, giving birth to a new Messiah by parthenogenesis. She finds solace in the local community, headed by her Russian teacher, and does not question their unconditional love and acceptance.
Petros on the other hand, is building a theory centered against his project proposal for the industrial plant, which, if implemented, will bring significant changes to the nearby river. The river and close by village, hold ancient beliefs, deeply rooted in the Christian beliefs of the local community who strongly oppose the project- the very community that worships Anna. He gets convinced Anna is a victim, unintentionally falling in the darkness of medieval beliefs and tries to stop her.
The mystical river, the baby without conception and the local church construct an atmosphere of tension, frustration and agony inside the couple.
Anna, sees Petros as a stubborn child, imprisoned in his need to interpret everything logically, while he frantically tries to find ways to prevent her from giving birth.
The crisis inside the couple culminates. Faith and rationale violently confront each other as the futile struggle for meaning in a constantly changing world becomes an obsession.