The Hunter

Dersú Uzala – the Hunter» takes its title from the autobiographical work written in 1923 by Vladimir Arséniev, in which he narrates his journeys through Eastern Russia, his experiences in the taiga, and how he mapped a large part of this territory. The book is considered a classic of twentieth-century literature. The guide who leads him through these territories is called Dersú Uzala, a nomadic hunter from the region. The writer appreciates the way in which the latter treats nature, as an equal.

In 1975, Akira Kurosawa, thanks to the Russian production firm Mosfilm, directed the movie with the same name, which won the Oscar for the best foreign-language film. The project was filmed on the southeastern border of Russia, specifically in the region named Primorje on the border with China, North Korea, and the Sea of Japan. The town of Udegei, an archaic and millennial hunting community, has been inhabited by the people of the Boreal Jungle for hundreds of years, overcoming life in a hostile environment. Due to their close connection with nature, their beliefs are intertwined with the supernatural. The Siberian tiger inspires the most fear and respect among them.

In 1997, John Vaillant tells in his story «The Tiger» the death of a hunter mauled by a tiger. The story, based on a true event, centred on a furtive hunter named Markov who, motivated by greed and necessity, thought that he could overcome the risk of attacking the tiger known by the people as Amba, who personified the spirit of the forest for the Udegei people. He missed his shot and became the tiger’s prey, which tracked him for days until it located his isolated hunting cabin and awaited his return.

These two books that captivated Álvaro Laiz were the driving force behind the audiovisual and photographic project that featured a collaboration with the Cerezales Antonino y Cinia Foundation, located in the town of Cerezales del Condado, in Leon.

Laiz spent four months in 2014 and 2015 living with Udegei hunters to gain a deeper understanding of their frosty environment and lifestyle. He explored through photography, video, and audio the relationship these hunters maintained with the tiger and the events that have driven both to the brink of extinction.

The pro-animal and shaman beliefs prevalent in this town are the starting point for the analysis and documentation of the impact that nature bestows upon the hunting community and the Udegei culture, who have to learn to follow the trail of these animals to be able to hunt and survive.

This work has been featured in a limited-edition book from the publishing house RM, presented in June 2017.