This extraordinary book is not just about filmmaking, it's about all art...about life, faith, inner exploration, and the Russian soul.
It contains exquisite poetry, mostly written by Tarkovsky's father, Arseny Tarkovsky, and detailed descriptions of the making of several of his films, as well as photos from them that show the eerie, mystical, and incredible beauty of his work.
Tarkovsky is master of making us see the wonder of all creation in the most mundane subjects. He brings us one step closer in our journey toward the light through his art.
From page 43: "The allotted function of art is not, as is often assumed, to put across ideas, to propagate thoughts, to serve as an example. The aim of art is to prepare a person for death, to plough and harrow his soul, rendering it capable of turning to good".