Daybreak, Sunset, Cow Milk

Russia, 2021, 22’
In Russian w/ Eng./ Arm. subtitles
Director, Scriptwriter, and Cinematographer: Marina Fomenko
Producer: Marina Fomenko
Sound designer: Anton Zachesov
Editor: Marina Fomenko

The once exemplary livestock and dairy farm in the Altai region is now in decline. Milk cows live here. Their whole life passes between the barn and the “maternity ward”. Everything here is subordinated to the task of obtaining a useful product. All days at the farm have the same schedule: morning milking, evening milking, “maternity ward”, dairy. The milkmaids arrive early, when it is still dark. People come into the space inhabited by cows, combining animals and mechanisms, creating hybrids — cows with mechanical udders. In the evening, the milkmaids come and milk the cows again. The milk is transported to the dairy section and from there, it leaves the farm. Calves are born in the “maternity ward”, where cows can temporarily return to their natural life. Several women perform these extremely hard and low-paid jobs to keep the barn alive. This is life on a farm.

Marina Fomenko

Marina Fomenko is an artist and curator based in Moscow. She participated in numerous festivals and exhibitions worldwide. More recently, Marina started making short experimental documentary films. Her film The Stone Guest was recognized as the best experimental film at the Festival of Nations (Austria), Porto Femme International Film Festival (Portugal) and at Couch Film Festival (Canada) and it also received the 2^nd Prize at the 22^nd Faludi Film Festival (Hungary). Since 2011, Fomenko organizes the International Video Art Festival Now&After.

Filmography

The Stone Guest (2018), Daybreak, Sunset, Cow Milk (2020).