Журнал Viche 2008 №23

№23, 2008

59 minutes of disgrace

Echo: “Youth”

Out-of-competition program of the 38-th Kyiv international film festival “Youth” was devoted to Famine of 1932—1933. Organizers tried to collect all films on this theme. In the result ten documentaries created by the Ukrainian cinematographer were included in “Documentaries about Famine”. Some of them were shot already in 1990, but majority is of a present day. We have watched one of novelties called “Landscape after Famine” (director is Yuriy Tereshchenko).

The film explores the phenomenon of the post-genocide society on the example of one Ukrainian village — Velyka Fosnya in Zhytomyr region. In 1933 64 houses out of 86 were devastated by famine. An extraordinarily interesting man, the researcher of famine Yakiv Gryshchuk, who lives in neighboring Mala Fosnya, tells about it from the screen. He shows the secret places of mass burial which he found himself, having collected the certificate of hundred and hundred witnesses of Famine in these regions. Yakiv Gryshchuk with the help of personal funds constructed ten monuments and the stele in the center of the village, where he engraved the last names of those who died because of famine.

 

Information has appeared that the TV channels “Inter” and ІСTV became interested in this film. Obviously the Ukrainian audience soon will manage to watch “Landscape after Famine” duration of which is 59 minutes, on television. But I doubt whether everyone will find forces to watch it to the end, because it is not really easy.

 

I think each of us, having a camcorder and staying in the village for a day, can shoot such “film”. So you can send bravely your masterpieces to the Government Service of Cinematography. Possibly, if you are lucky, your amateur film will also be shown at the festival “Youth” or it will be sent abroad somewhere far away to the world premiere.

Yuriy POTASHNIY