So we finally wrapped up shooting in Dolinovka. 8 days and 22 hours of footage later, we were satisfied and ready to settle down to a good meal and glass of vodka. Everyone had been so great in the village, so we wanted to have a big party with them, eat, drink, and just talk like normal people – not like a film crew. There was a rumor that it was going to be just a couple families, but once the village got wind we may have a party, it was clear we had to hold it in the “club”. – the club, by the way, is a midsized building that reminded me of my elementary school multi-purpose room. On the weekends, they have music, karaoke, and dancing for all the young kids in the village. 
But on this Friday night, we took over and had food, drinks, a cut of what we shot, and of course, dancing and singing.
Irina gave a great speech about the movie, about the people – “we were shooting places that, to them, might seem like garbage, but its for a reason. What they have been through as people, as a community, they had been through 3 regimes (soviet, perastroyka, and free market). In order to see what they had accomplished in those times, we needed to see the old (abandoned buildings, broken cars, and weathered faces) and the new (children, families and community).”
GALLERY AFTER THE JUMP
She went on for a while, in Russian of course, and all I could understand was people smiling, nodding, and agreeing. We then showed a short cut of some of the shots we created with them. Many were tearing up, smiling, and laughing. All was well, as we wanted to make sure they didn’t think we were just there to capitlize on there small village.
After the show, we ate, we drank, and then we danced. Irina lead some group sing-a-longs of old Russian folk songs. Then the karaoke came on and Irina left to smoke a cigarette, stopping all singning.
We danced and ran around for a few more hours. Everyone was a bit tipsy (read: happily drunk) and by 1AM, we were all heading out. Anfisa wanted everyone to go swimming naked in the pond by the town. She said “no mosquitoes”. However, I was a bit tired, as was everyone else, so we decided to pass. This was for the best, as the “no mosquitoes” was an obvious lie.
