London film buffs take note! On the weekend of Dec. 5-8, residents of the British capital will have the opportunity to attend the Ukrainian Film Days festival.
Hosted by the Ukrainian Institute London, Kyiv’s Arthouse Traffic production studio and the Ukrainian Film Institute, the festival will present some of Ukraine’s best films, including four contemporary features and one Soviet classic.
This year’s Ukrainian film hit, “Homeward” by Crimean Tatar director Nariman Aliev, tells the tragic story of a Crimean Tatar family while also depicting the long-standing struggle of the indigenous people of Crimea
The festival will feature on of the year’s biggest hits in Ukrainian cinematography: Crimean Tatar director Nariman Aliev’s debut film, Homeward. It tells the story of a Crimean Tatar father’s quest to bring the body of his son, who was killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine, to their homeland in Crimea.
Volcano directed by Roman Bondarchuk
Roman Bondarchuk’s film Volcano is returning to London at this festival after its successful debut in the city earlier this summer. Having won at least 9 awards so far, the film tells the fictional, absurdist story of an interpreter for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe getting lost near Russian-occupied Crimea and trying to escape.
Historical thriller Mr. Jones directed by three-time Oscar-nominated director Agnieszka Holland
Three-time Oscar-nominated director Agnieszka Holland’s historical thriller Mr. Jones will also be shown at the festival. The film tells the story of the Welsh journalist Gareth Jones and his secret trip to Soviet Ukraine, where he uncovered the hidden truths of the Soviet Union such as mass famine, censorship, conspiracies and political repressions.
Wild Fields directed by Iarsolav Lodygin. (112.ua)
Iarsolav Lodygin’s Wild Fields, based on the cult novel Voroshilovgradby contemporary Ukrainian author Serhiy Zhadan, will also be featured after more than seven years in production. The director will speak after the screening.
The 1990 film Swan Lake: The Zone directed by Yuri Ilyenko’s
Shot a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yuri Ilyenko’s 1990 film Swan Lake: The Zoneto take viewers back to the last years of Communism. It depicts the tragic love story of a convict on the run who is forced to hide inside a hammer and sickle monument.
The five films will be presented at the Curzon Soho and Cine Lumiere theatres with tickets costing £13-17.
Ukraine has experienced a renaissance of film production since 2006, when the government established the State Film Agency. It has funded many new projects for passionate young filmmakers. More films are being made now than in the last three decades.
While Russia’s film industry overshadowed Ukraine’s in the past, since the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution a wave of new energy has pushed Ukraine’s cinema into the spotlight.
