The Story of Voyages,[1] also translated as A Fairy Tale of Wanderings[2] (Russian: Сказка странствий) is a 1983 SovietRussian fantasy adventure film directed by Alexander Mitta and starring Andrei Mironov. The film is notably darker and more adult-oriented than most of Soviet fantasy movies, which were usually made for children.[3] It was a joint co-production of Russian, Czechoslovak, and Romanian studios.
Plot
In a medieval fantasy kingdom, two orphans, May and his sister Martha, live in poverty. A group of robbers kidnap May to use his magic talent: he feels sick when surrounded by gold, therefore he can feel gold from a long distance.
Martha goes on a quest to find her brother. She is soon joined by a travelling scientist, Orlando. Together, the two wander through various fantastic countries. They visit a city built on the back of a dragon, and see it burnt down when the dragon wakes. In another city, they are sentenced to death for starting a bar brawl. They manage to escape from prison using hang-glider Orlando invented. Finally they land in a country hit by Black Death, which is personified as a witch in black. Orlando sacrifices himself to stop the plague.
Years later, Martha finally finds May, who has changed dramatically. He became one of the robbers, a violent and evil person; he is rich, but feels sick of his affluence. Martha talks him out of this way of life. May magically destroys his castle and feels that the spirit of Orlando has been reborn in him.
