UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE
U311 ЧЕРКАСИ (U311 CHERKASY)
Watchable. The drama about Ukrainian resistance against Russia during the invasion on Crimea in 2014 is shot so professionally, not only in terms of the picture and sound quality but also of story-telling, it resembles... Russian cinema. Minor faults of the script and editing make some political, military and technical aspects impermeable to outsiders. But the human dilemma: patriotism vs. 4 times the wage when you've been poverty-stricken all your life and the personal drama are lucid. The film was consulted with the navy so I have no reasons not to trust the depiction of an army consisting of ignorant amateurs who often lack solidarity, empathy, skills, reason, discipline, who failed miserably.
The subtitles, especially English ones, were quite small. And the Polish translation had a few more curse words than the original. The English version didn't.
SERGEI LOZNITSA SHORT FILMS
ОДНА НІЧ В ОПЕРІ / UNE NUIT À L’OPÉRA (A NIGHT AT THE OPERA)
Watchable. It's mostly black and white, with just one shot in colour in the middle, but manages to capture the splendour of the Opera Garnier - it shines, mostly owing to the jewellery worn at the opera nights. The roughly 20-minute film compiles the greats of mid-20th-century walking up the steep stairs and sitting in the seemingly small hall listening to and watching various performances. It's fun, you'd just love to join them. That one colourful shot inserted in the middle, however, shows how much you miss when the film is black and white.
СТАРИЙ ЄВРЕЙСЬКИЙ ЦВИНТАР (THE OLD JEWISH CEMETARY)
Watchable. Another 20-minute long black and white film with a smart use of light. Pleasant, showing how life has renewed itself on the old massive burial ground. Life always goes on. Nothing revelatory but with no words spoken, just the sounds of nature in the park, it's soothing.
ЛИСТ/ ПИСЬМО (LETTER)
Switched off. Quiet life in a village. Nothing much happens. Blurred black and white picture.
The three shorts with no dialogues were easy to watch, no struggle with the size or visibility of subtitles.
ДОДОМУ / EVGE (HOMEWARD)
Watchable. No respect for dead bodies, pervasive corruption, derelict towns - ugly Ukraine. But beautifully filmed, especially the finale at sunrise. The unsightly reality of Ukraine is juxtaposed with traditional Tatar values. And the story of a father-son reunion and reconciliation is engaging, as is the Tatar background. Akhtem Seitablayev excels as the tough Crimean father. The story has numerous twists and turns since the men's road is ridden with adventures. Not everything is comprehensible to outsiders regarding Tatars' history or modern day check points but most is easy to follow. Modern day adventure movie.
Perfectly legible subtitles. Easy to read on a laptop screen from a distance.
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