Synopsis
This documentary focuses on S.P.A.R.T.A., a “poetic agricultural commune” dwelling in the East Ukrainian village of Caravan. In the early 1990s, the founder of the commune developed his own “theory of happiness,” which the members have painstakingly followed for the past 20 years. In this system, happiness comes at a price: all commune members must accept a strict hierarchical system, do their share of hard physical work, and develop their spirit through obligatory poetry-writing. Convinced of the world’s ongoing degeneration, the “Spartans” live according to war-time laws. We are introduced to the inner workings of the collective through the eyes of a young idealist, Sasha, who spent a year in the commune but finally decided to leave. Will she be able to quit this close-knit community which considers departure a betrayal?
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