A musical Christmas story, told by little five-year-old girl and her fellows. This magnificent musical film is based on old Russian Christmas fairy tales, nativity scenes and authentic melodies that have accompanied this holiday for many centuries.
The film is based on the events of the 4th International Orthodox Music Festival held in Moscow in February, 1992. The Festival featured not only such famous works as Rakhmaninov's "The All Night Service" and "Liturgy" but also the first performance of the latest interpretations of ancient Russian songs and the sensational first performance of Sviridov's cycle of "spiritual songs".
The "Good News" is a film dedicated to one of the main holidays of Orthodox Christians: the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. The main idea of this holiday is the beginning of the liberation of the human race from sins and eternal death, the joyful news about the upcoming birth of Jesus Christ. The film shows how people living in the remote Russian village are preparing for the Annunciation, marking the turning point of winter and the beginning of field work. Everyday details of the parish community life help to feel Russian Orthodox customs that have been formed for centuries.
The film tells us about the history of the Moscow Donskoy monastery and the personality of Patriarch Tikhon. During the difficult years of persecution of the Russian Church, from November 1917 to April 1925, he led it, trying to keep the Orthodox faith pure.
The film depicts the pilgrimage to Jerusalem of schema monk Makary with whom faith is not just the latest craze but the essence of his understanding of life. His main goal is to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, so the greatest value of his luggage is a huge number of memorial notes. In the Holy Land he meets monks, visits Orthodox churches and shrines, reflects on the eternal principles of human life - love, hope, faith.
