Contemporary Movie/DVD in Ukrainian (or Russian) which is easily available in US?

[Natalia Pylypiuk]

Pat,

There were many very fine films released in Ukraine after Independence.
I wholeheartedly concur with my colleague, Natalie Kononenko:
Oles' Sanin's*Mamaj* (2003) is visually marvelous, done in the  
tradition of the poetic cinema initiated by Dovzhenko
and developed in the 1960s by S. Pradzhanov and Iu. Il"jenko.   
However, it has little dialogue.

For a view of life during the economic crisis of the learly 90's, I  
would recommend:

1) "Pryiatel' nebizhchyka" / A Friend of the Deceased.  (1997)  
Directed by V"iacheslav Kryshtofovych.
Filmscript by Andrij Kurkov, a bi-lingual author. The film is  
available in Ukrainian.
read interview with Kurkov in kinokolo:
http://www.kinokolo.ua/interviews/1/

2) "Pryntsesa na bobakh."  (1997) Directed by Vilen Novak.  Script by  
Maryna Marejeva.
The film is available in Ukrainian.
http://www.kinokolo.ua/cyclopedia/film.php/276

A good thriller, involving the adventures of a group of archeology  
students, is
3) "Shtolnia" / The [mine] pit. (2006) Direction and script by  
Liubomyr Kobyl'chuk

Inasmuch as in you are in NY state, you might wish to invite Mr. Yuri  
Shevchuk, who runs a Ukrainian
Film Club at Columbia University, to come for a talk.  He is an  
engaging speaker.

Best,
Natalia

Prof. Natalia Pylypiuk, PhD
Modern Languages & Cultural Studies  [www.mlcs.ca]
200 Arts, University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E6



On 12-Mar-09, at 9:15 PM, nataliek at ualberta.ca wrote:

> Probably the prettiest are Mamai (2003) and Shadows of Forgotten  
> Ancestors.
> Mamai is based on a folk epic (duma) about the escape of three  
> brothers from Turkish captivity.  It is presented in dialogue with a  
> Tatar legend about a magical golden cradle.  It is painterly and  
> very pretty.  It was intended for a western audiences and should do  
> well.
> [...]
> Natalie K.
> Quoting pburak at TWCNY.RR.COM:
>
>> Dear Colleagues,
>> Our Ukrainian Student Association on campus (DINAMO) wants to show  
>> a contemporary Ukrainian movie on campus - preferably in Ukrainian,  
>> preferably with subtitles. If they cannot find one, perhaps a  
>> Russian movie which takes place in Ukraine.
>>
>> Does anyone have any suggestions?  [...]
>> [..]Pat Burak,
>> Syracuse University
>>

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