Kurosawa's remarkable film - his only produced and financed outside of Japan - is an extraordinary tale of friendship and survival, based on the memoirs of Russian explorer Vladimir Arseniev. In the harsh environs of the Siberian frontier, an expedition led by Arseniev encounters the nomadic Goldi tribesmaan Dersu Uzala, who agrees to guide the men through the vast unchartered widerness. Although initially considered by the group as little more than a savage, Dersu's skill, courage and spiritual wisdom soon earn their respect and admiration, as well as instilling in them a new-found compassion for the natural world.