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Films from the special retrospective programme «To Love in Ukrainian» will be shown at the 15th Odesa International Film Festival this year. Programme consists of four films by Ukrainian directors. Films of «To Love in Ukrainian» touch on the themes of displaced persons, migrant workers, codependencies and feelings amid the spirit of the revolution. Love, of course, is in the focus of every film.
The list of films of the «To Love in Ukrainian» programme:
● «Felix Austria Aka Maid-In-Law» directed by Khrystyna Syvolap, 2019
This is the feature-length debut of director Khrystyna Syvolap, based on the novel «Felix Austria» by Sofia Andrukhovych. The chronotope of the film is Stanislaviv in the second half of the 19th century. Both Stefania’s parents and Adelia’s mother died during the fire. Adelia’s father adopted the neighbors' orphan. Girls grew up together to become as close as sisters, though Stefania served as the maid. This attachment develops into love-trap: on one hand full of mutual manipulation and jealousy, but equally based on сare and devotion. The illusion of balance is broken when Adelia marries sculptor Petro. Everything gets even more complicated when Joseph, the old love interest of Stefa, returns to town as the priest and married man. Illusions are destined to evaporate and reality comes into focus. This is a story about addiction, jealousy and love.
● «The Nest of the Turtledove» directed by Taras Tkachenko, 2016
After two years of working as a maid in Italy, Daryna returns home pregnant. While in Genoa, she worked in the house of the Italian Alessandrio. There she had to endure the abuse of his mother Vittoria, who did everything to make Daryna leave their home. Daryna realizes that her life with her husband Dmytro will never be the same. But will she be able to restore their shattered relationship, and will her husband be able to accept Daryna with her future child? The script for the film was written on the basis of the novel by Lesia Olendiy.
● «The Forgotten» directed by Daria Onyshchenko, 2019
The film was shot in a co-production between Ukraine and Switzerland. The world premiere of the film took place at the Warsaw International Film Festival as part of the «1-2» competition program, where the film was awarded the Special Jury Prize. «The Forgotten» is a film about events in temporarily occupied Luhansk (Ukraine). The plot is based on the story of the Ukrainian language teacher Nina, who once saves seventeen-year-old Andrii from arrest. The boy got to the police because of the Ukrainian flag on the school roof. Eventually, the main character will have to make a difficult choice between moving with her husband, a smuggler, Yuriy, to the territory controlled by Ukraine, or staying in Luhansk.
● «Falling» directed by Maryna Stepanska, 2017
This is a love story unfolding during great changes in Ukraine. It follows two bewildered people who meet at a crucial moment of their existence and experience a few days of happiness together. The story set exactly one year after Maidan and expresses feelings of a generation which have no idea who they are anymore or what their identity is, so the only way is to be right here, right now. The events take place during the «winter that has changed us» — the historic 5 months of 2013-2014 in Kyiv.
The 15th Odesa International Film Festival will take place from July 12 to 20, 2024, in Kyiv.
The 15th Odesa International Film Festival is supported by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the Creative Europe Program.