This latest film pursues typical Leacock passions: music and musicians. The late Sarah Caldwell, talented opera conductor and impresario, was, in 1972, the first woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera. Prior to that, she formed her own opera company in Boston and became known for putting together difficult works under pressure and for her interesting variations on standard operas. A few years before her death, Leacock and Valérie Lalonde join Caldwell on a trip to Siberia in the middle of winter where she attempts to stage a previously-banned 1936 symphonic drama by celebrated Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. The piece is based on poet Aleksandr Pushkin's famous novel Eugene Onegin. Working with Russian musicians, actors, director and crew proves challenging for Caldwell, who wants desperately to present the work as Prokofiev had intended. The film captures a clash of cultures as tensions mount and tempers flare. Caldwell's dedication to the music is clear and constant, making Siberia a gripping study of the artistic process.
-Shannon Abel