Alexander Sokurov's first feature film, created as his graduation work at VGIK, is based on Andrei Platonov's stories The River Potudan and The Origin of a Master. The film follows Red Army soldier Nikita Firsov, who returns home to a remote Soviet village after the Civil War, haunted by disturbing memories. Seeking peace, he falls in love with Lyuba, a medical student. Firsov grows closer to Lyuba, viewing their relationship as a potential path to rebuilding his shattered life. However, both are deeply affected by the trauma of war and the disintegration of the world around them, which makes it difficult for them to find peace in a rapidly changing society. 

The Lonely Voice of Man was shot in 1978, but to the author's surprise, the university administration condemned the film, criticising it for its gloomy atmosphere and lack of "revolutionary inspiration," even sentencing it to destruction. However, thanks to cinematographer Sergey Yurizditsky, the film was saved and reconstructed in 1987, during Perestroika.