FILM FESTIVAL 2015

April 30 – May 3
Recent full-length feature narratives and documentaries, and short films, from Ukraine and/or by Ukrainians.

Admission: $12; $10 – members, seniors, students

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April 30, 2015 at 7 p.m.
***Such Beautiful People (2013)***
Director: Dmytro Moyseyev
Narrative (94 min), Ukr/Eng subtitles.
Introduction by Dr. Yuri Shevchuk, Columbia University.
Light reception to follow the screening

Such Beautiful People is the story of five people who escape civilization and settle down at the seashore. They fish, have home performances, and read Japanese literature. But something is missing from this idyllic lifestyle. Filmed in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv and Crimea.

https://www.facebook.com/events/445492975614386/

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May 1, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
***Green Jacket (2014)***
Director: Volodymyr Tykhyy (“Ukraine Goodbye” and “Babylon’13” series).
Narrative (104 min), Ukr/Eng subtitles.

A 7-year-old child disappears in the suburbs of the city. After a month of unproductive searching, the boy’s older sister decides to take over the investigation. She is confident that she knows who kidnapped her brother. Despair, guiltiness and powerlessness – is that enough to justify a terrible revenge?

https://www.facebook.com/events/1615792358658328/

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May 2, 2015 at 6 p.m.
SHORT FILMS SESSION

***God's Lake (2012)***
Director: Diana Aszyk
Documentary (17 min.), Ukr/Eng subtitles
A poetic tale of one Ukrainian family living on a lake which has been the focal point of life throughout generations. The film was made during one of the greatest European soccer events "EURO 2012" in Ukraine. Winner on 8th DOCSDF 2013, Mexico, 2013 (Best International Short Documentary); 5th Dokubazaar, Slovenia, 2013 (screening); Curt.doc 2013, Spain, 2013 (competition); MiradasDoc, Canary Islands, 2013 (competition); Baku International Tourism Film Festival, Azerbaijan, 2014 (competition); Green Unplugged (participation).

https://www.facebook.com/events/770467099741395/

***Alcoholic (2013)***
Director: Yulia Gontaruk
Narrative (31 min.), Ukr/Eng subtitles
Alina's mother gave her up and now she's forced to live with her aunt, whom she considers vicious; Alina is convinced her aunt doesn't love her. The only one who loves Alina is her doll. The girl comes across an announcement about a call for children to register for the dance class 'Vinochok' (wreath). This is the chance for Alina to flee from a miserable world, full of dirt, needlessness and misunderstanding.

https://www.facebook.com/events/850702288336220/

***Bohdanchyk (2014)***
Director: Volodymyr Tykhyy
Documentary (6 min.) Rus/Eng subtitles
"I will soon go to war." In Donbas, brave Bohdanchyk talks about his life during the war. Among images of tanks he dreams of becoming a soldier – a child of war is born.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1435145836786216/

***The Doctor Leaves Last (2014)***
Director: Svitlana Shymko
Documentary (26 min.), Ukr/Rus/Eng subtitles
Tanya is in the front lines during the bloodiest days of Maidan. After the ceasefire, she remains in Kyiv in order to help the injured. In the meantime, the undeclared war with the Russian Federation breaks out in the east of Ukraine and Tanya has to go to the front again.

https://www.facebook.com/events/823468364357100/

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May 2, 2015 at 8 p.m.
***Brothers. The Final Confession (2013)***
Director: Victoria Trofimenko
Narrative (120 min.), Ukr/Eng subtitles

Based on the book “Hummelhonung” by Swedish writer Torgny Lindgren, the theme of this movie is confession. In Christianity confession is declaration of all the sins, so that the soul is pure when standing before God…The audience is drawn into the film as the confession reveals more about the brothers. The script was adapted to the Carpathians and the Hutsuls (people who live in the Carpathians) and the characters speak in the Hutsul dialect. All the shooting took place in the Carpathians and in Kyiv studios.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1437953303171784/

Reception after the screening

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May 3, 2015 at 4 p.m.
***Ukraine: When the Countdown Began (2011)***
Directors: Sergey Bukovsky (The Living), Svetlana Zaloga
Documentary (90 min), Ukr/Rus/Eng subtitles

Ukraine. When the countdown began is a large documentary project, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Ukrainian independence and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The epoch-making events of 1989-1991 changed the geopolitical formation of the world forever. These events were significant for millions of people, yet they remain in the shadows. In the film, the viewer will learn about the backroom politics and Ukraine’s road to independence. Appearing in the film are Leonid Kravchuk, Stanislav Shushkevich, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Gennadiy Burbulis, Levko Lukyanenko, Brent Scocroft, and James Baker.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1566116807009780/


Awards: Globe GOLD, World Media Fest Hamburg 2012
Nominations: «Documentary film, International competition», TRT Documentary 2012. National competition, Odessa International Film Festival 2012. TV Documentary, Teletriumph 2011

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