'Festival of Ukrainian Spiritual Cinema' Starts Today in Rome
Today in Italy, the Ukrainian Spiritual Cinema Festival kicked off at the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Rome with the screening of the film 'Zakhar Berkut,' a spectacular, large-scale production depicting events from the 13th century, carrying the motto: 'In freedom - my essence.' The information was provided by the Embassy of Ukraine to the Holy See. The festival will take place from December 8 to December 10, 2023, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema, as well as the Religious Society 'St. Sophia' Cathedral.
Admission is free with prior registration. The official opening of the festival will take place on December 9 at 16:00, with the participation of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Andriy Yurash, the president of the religious society 'St. Sophia,' Archpriest Mark Yaroslav Senegan, and the screenwriter and producer of the art film 'Bucha,' Olexandr Shchur.
The Festival program includes 8 films:
December 8, 2023
14:00 – 'Zakhar Berkut'
Historical adventure film, 132 min.
Directors: Akhtem Seitablaiev, John Winn.
Producers: Yegor Olesov, Yuri Karnovsky, Jeff Rice, Rajah Collins.
One of the brightest and most expensive films based on the story by Ivan Franko. 13th century: the Mongol horde moves west through the Carpathian Mountains, but a small community led by Zakhar Berkut stops the numerous enemy because the heroes' motto in history is 'In freedom, my essence.'
Film language – Ukrainian.
Subtitles – English.
17:00 – 'Black Raven'
Historical drama, 91 min.
Director: Taras Tkachenko
Producer: Alexander Tkachenko.
In the 1920s, a fierce struggle of Ukrainian insurgents against Bolshevik occupiers, who destroy the sprouts of Ukrainian statehood, is ongoing. The insurgent movement is led by the ataman from Holodny Yar, nicknamed 'Black Raven.' The film captivates with its drama and the excellent performance of well-known Ukrainian actors.
Film language – Ukrainian.
19:00 – 'The Guide'
Historical drama, 122 min.
Director: Oles Sanin
Producers: Oles Sanin, Igor Savichenko, Maxim Asadchy.
American engineer Michael Shamrock, along with his 10-year-old son Peter, arrives in Kharkiv on the eve of the Holodomor and repression. The engineer is killed over secret documents that fall into his hands. The boy is accidentally saved by the blind bandura player Ivan Kocherha, who becomes his 'Guide.'
The film won the Odesa International Film Festival in the category 'Best Acting' (Stanislav Boklan as Ivan Kocherha) and received a special jury diploma for the work of the cinematographer (Sergiy Mikhaylyuk).
Film language – Ukrainian.
Subtitles – English.
The full programme of the festival is available on the website of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Holy See.