Twelve years after the largest disaster in the history of nuclear energy, the Austrian director records abandoned, overgrown cities, lunar landscapes of contaminated zones, and endless cemeteries of irradiated machines. In Geyrhalter's long, black-and-white shots, the Exclusion Zone around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant takes on a surreal, magical character, reminiscent of Tarkovsky's "Stalker." Conversations with locals show the true dimension of living in an environment unsuited to hosting life such as those with employees of the power plant, revealing shocking details of the chaotic rescue operation – and nostalgically reminiscing about the glory days of the USSR's model city. Some have been unable to leave for years due to bizarre bureaucratic obstacles. But there are also those who purposely chose the zone, irrespective of the deadly threat.