Blue Eye Of Siberia
(Parts 1 & 2)

Production Co: Soyuz Film, Cicada Productions

Producer: Frances Berrigan

Director: Yuri Belliankin

Year: 1990

Genre: Documentary

Region: Russia

Duration: 2 x 57'

Language: English

Pollution threatens the unique ecosystem of Lake Baikal in Siberia - the largest freshwater lake in the world.  Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is possibly the oldest, and certainly the deepest, lake on Earth.  Known as the Blue Eye of Siberia, it contains one fifth of the world’s fresh water and is home to over 2,500 species of fish and crustacea.  To the Tungas, Buryat and other peoples living on the lake and the lake’s islands, Baikal wields tremendous spiritual power; its cliffs are gods, its geological creation is legendary.  But this Anglo/Soviet production shows that the delicate balance of this ancient ecosystem has been brought close to destruction because of over-fishing, and industrialisation.  Effluent from factories and unused timber dumped back into the lake is poisoning the water.  While Lake Baikal is now officially deemed a barometer of atmospheric changes, many scientists say that even if the pollution stopped now it would take 300-400 years before the lake rejuvenated itself.

Winner of Ria Cup, Silver Gentian-Trento Mountain Festival (1990, Italy); Silver Medal, New York Film Festival (1990, USA)