This is the story of New York-based author Irina Pantaeva’s journey to her homeland in Southern Siberia. Through her eyes, the film looks at the revival of ancient Buryat-Mongol culture in a region that is usually associated with Gulags and forbidding winters. It traces the impact of democracy on this Buddhist and Shaman community, which was closed to outsiders for almost a century. While Irina has had her 15 minutes of fame as an author, actress and model, this is the first time that the Buryat-Mongol story has been told. Their history of communist oppression is reminiscent of the Tibetan experience and yet they have received woefully little media attention. While discovering Buryatia’s hidden history, audiences will be introduced to a Central Asian culture through a family of artists and shaman. Siberian Dream also offers the box office bonus of a surprise love story.