You're reading: Ukrainian film premiere: silly dances and a long, long wait for show

In Ukraine, film aficionados generally take little interest in national cinema and prefer Hollywood blockbusters. Yet, during the Kiev International Film Festival on Sept. 21, this opinion was reversed, but not for long.

Thousands of people turned up to watch a movie produced in Ukraine and about Ukraine, waited around for a couple of hours despite delays, watched silly Indian dances that had little pertinence to the film itself, and for what?

Sadly, only to be let down again.

“Firecrosser” was the only Ukrainian film in the competition program.

Based on a real story of a Ukrainian military pilot who escaped Nazi and Soviet labor camps and ended up in the Canadian Indian tribe, the film was meant to inspire Ukrainians and give them a hero, said film director Mykhailo Illenko.

It took him four years to shoot it.

The young and old who gathered at St. Sophia’s Cathedral to watch the premier were anxious to finally feel proud for Ukraine.

The film was scheduled to begin at 6.45 p.m. First soundtracks from the Soviet comedies, then some Latin rhythms filled the square, running off script with the heroic film about to be presented.

But who cared? Perhaps, no one minded because only at 8 p.m., the film director in an embroidered Ukrainian shirt, and the minister of culture, barely fitting into his sky-blue suit, graced the stage.


The young and old who gathered at St. Sophia’s Cathedral to watch the premier were anxious to finally feel proud for Ukraine.

After vain ceremonial speeches and remarks about who among actors gave birth during the film production, Illenko thanked everyone for coming and announced the dance act instead of his film.

The audience groaned when poorly dressed Indians awkwardly climbed the stage, but nobody was leaving, yet.

Their patience was badly rewarded. At 8:30 p.m., a man with a grey beard without introducing himself said that they had some technical problems.

Then, rather bluntly and with little apology in his voice, if any, he said: “We can show an Egyptian movie now instead [it was scheduled to run right after “Firecrosser”]. It will only be another two hours.”

At this point, 80 percent of the audience got up and left. They didn’t want an Egyptian movie; they all came to watch “Firecrosser,” lending Ukrainian cinema a huge credit of trust.

However, filmmakers wasted their chance again. The movie was finally launched at 10 p.m. and those who stayed complained later in comments online about sound bugs. Oddly enough, the film won the festival, getting the highest number of votes from the audience.

Who were those people and how the votes have been counted are a mystery.

Ukrainian dancers dressed as Canadian indians entertain filmgoers before ‘Firecrosser’ premier (kievfilmfest.com)

Of course, one can argue that technical flaws happen all the time; however, it seems that Ukrainian cinema lately turned into one big technical and creative flaw.

Why keep the audiences waiting for hours with the Soviet soundtracks? Why did the film director introduce the film and actors and accepted applause before we even saw the story? And finally, why has no one apologized?

There is one good explanation to all of that. Ukrainian cinematography exists in a cozy narrow universe, where there is no need for the audience.

A summer contest among filmmakers for the state funding, held by the State Film Agency, left the same impression. Contestants couldn’t answer a simple question: Who is your audience?

Until Ukrainian filmmakers understand that films are a commercial product that cannot be sold without respect for the customer, Hollywood and Moscow studios will continue supplying the Ukrainian market with their own product.

Kyiv Post staff writer Olga Rudenko can be reached at [email protected]