For over 200 generations the Nenets have crossed the Yamal Peninsula (Yamal literally translates as “the end of the world”) in the far north of Siberia, on their migration route as nomadic reindeer herders. The beauty of the tundra and their traditional way of life is revealed in this film as we follow them through the year. But their way of life is under threat.

As the Arctic thaws, it becomes more open to exploitation for its natural resources, particularly gas. These hydrocarbons are increasingly important to the Russian economy as it finds itself under pressure from the international community. The exploitation of the resources creates a need for more local infrastructure in these remote regions. Growing towns, a railway, an airport, not to mention the deep scar on the landscape caused by the extraction of gas and oil, and the new nuclear-powered icebreakers which will create busy shipping lanes in the Arctic, are all changing the local ecosystem. Not to mention the accelerating pace of climate change in the region, which will be further exacerbated by the release of these hydrocarbons.

The Nenets way of life is marginal and as the permafrost melts, and the weather systems no longer follow their traditional ways of understanding, there is a risk that centuries of history and a whole way of life will be wiped out. While the region itself has been made wealthy by gas, up to 70% of the indigenous population live below the poverty line. They do not directly oppose the government, knowing that they will not win in any confrontation with Moscow. So they try to live alongside the gas exploitation, adapting their routes to the changing conditions.