Where the White Cranes Dance

Yakutia in the 1960s. A boy named Vanya returns home after spending six years in hospitals following a spinal injury. However, the happiness of his reunited family is short-lived: his mother dies in childbirth. To comfort the children, their father tells them about a distant, magical land where Siberian cranes dance, explaining that their mother has transformed into one of those beautiful and sacred birds. From that moment, Vanya dreams of witnessing the rare dance of Siberian cranes and meeting his mother, reborn as a bird.

Directed by Mikhail Lukachevsky, Where the White Cranes Dance leans on a strong ensemble — Nyurguyana Shadrina, Ньургун Бэчигэн, Zoya Popova — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about adventure titles of 2024.