The Winds of the Milky Way

Sequel to The Waterfowl People, this documentary presents the author’s interpretation of kinship, linguistic connections, and cultural relationships among the Finno-Ugric peoples. Finns, Vepsians, Votes, Setos, Erzya-M Mordvinians, Mansi, Hungarians, Sami, Nganasans, and Estonians appear in the film. Filming took place in 1977 on location across northern Finland, Sápmi, Vepsia, Votia, Mordovia, Khantia-Mansia, Hungary, the Taymyr Peninsula, the Setomaa region in Estonia, and on the Estonian islands Saaremaa and Muhu. Additional footage was shot in 1970 in the Nenets Okrug. This work constitutes the second documentary in Lennart Meri’s Encyclopaedia Cinematographica Gentium Fenno-Ugricarum series.