A farmer and his wife live in a rural part of Inner Mongolia with their three children. Chinese population control policies prevent them from having any more. The farmer sets out for the nearest town to obtain birth control. He comes upon a Russian truck driver who has ended up in a lake. The farmer takes the man back to his farm, and after initially being appalled, the Russian becomes enchanted with the peaceful life of the countryside and decides to stay. But his presence presages big changes for the peasants.
| Directing | Nikita Mikhalkov | Director |
| Editing | Joëlle Hache | Editor |
| Camera | Vilen Kalyuta | Director of Photography |
| Sound | Eduard Artemyev | Original Music Composer |
| Writing | Rustam Ibragimbekov | Screenplay |
| Production | Michel Seydoux | Producer |
| Production | Jean-Louis Piel | Executive Producer |
| Production | René Cleitman | Associate Producer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Irina Ginno | Costume Design |
| Camera | Jean-Jack Brehier | Steadicam Operator |
| Camera | Roman Ovcharenko | Additional Director of Photography |
| Camera | Valerii Anisimov | Additional Director of Photography |
| Costume & Make-Up | Larisa Avdyushko | Makeup Artist |
| Production | Nikita Mikhalkov | Producer |
| Production | Leonid Vereshchagin | Producer |