MAMAY SYNOPSIS

Cossack horsemen galloping across the plains, their swords flashing; Tartars swearing oaths
of blood-fealty and revenge ... this breathtaking widescreen spectacle has it all. Based on
a 16th-century legend, this is essentially a Romeo and Juliet-style romance - albeit one
leavened by flashes of folk-magic and shamanism (singing golden cradles, talking wolves).
From its opening, kaleidoscopically mixing graphics of medieval poetry with breathtaking
landscape imagery, to its tragic ending, this plays both as historical spectacle and as
social allegory, a plea for cultural tolerance. Its stunning cinematography, exotic costumes
and hypnotic score ensure that this will live long in the memory.

Oles Sanin was born in 1972. He studied acting at the Kiev Theatre Institute for ten years,
going on to study directing there as well for a further seven years. He has produced several
television documentaries for several foreign broadcasting companies. His latest film, Mamay,
is the first ever Ukranian nomination for an Oscar(r). It is his second film after Grikh
(The Sin, 1999), nominated for the Best Film Award at the Molodist Film Festival.

For more reviews:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ufc/pages/our_events/Mamay.htm, 
http://www.iofilm.co.uk/fm/m/mamay_2003.shtml, 
http://www.brama.com/news/press/2004/10/041015columbia.html,
http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/index2.php?param=pgs20031/100

			           A Friend of the Deceased

This is really a jewel of a movie. It is set in the Kiev of Post Soviet Ukraine - film is in
Russian - and a handsome apparently respectable man finds himself at odds with the free foer
all capitalist society that has emerged. His beautiful wife leaves him for someone more
ambitious and and financially motivated and as he becomes depressed he gets involved with
former scecret agents turned bodyguards and contract killers to ultimately bring his own
life to an end. The plot seems certainly sad; however there are touching, comical and has
plenty of irony. the character development is excellent and we sympathize without question
with the disiullusioned intellectual type whop refuses to budge - or is incapable of taking
advantage of the new order. There are lots of beautiful people in the film and Kiev is a
prime character in the story, it appears to be a really beautiful city. As another reviwer
wrote, the film may seem slow to develop but the viewer will become ever more involved in
the story.  (review taken from Amazon.com)

For more reviews:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/friendofdeceased/
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ufc/pages/our_events/a_friend_of_the_deceased.htm
http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/friend.html

				 Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964)

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Sergei Parajanov is based on a novel by M. Kocyubynskyy.
The film is happening in Carpathian mountains in Ukraine.
In one of the most colorful, sensuous, and unorthodox films ever made in
the Soviet Union, the tragic tale of two lovers separated by a family feud
is stunningly re-created. Superb color photography, daring direction, and
a spectacular musical score made Parajanov's impressionistic treatment of
a Carpathian legend a sensation all over the world.

For more reviews: http://www.ce-review.org/01/14/kinoeye14_partridge.html
Sergei Parajanov's films and bio: http://www.parajanov.com/maestro.html


				WITH FIRE AND SWORD SYNOPSIS 

Set in 17th century Poland, Jerzy Hoffman's audacious, epic film tells the story of the 
Ukrainian Cossack uprising against the Polish nobility. As fights rage, romances are sparked, adding 
even more drama to an already intense situation. Based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz
(Nobel Prize in Literature 1905), WITH FIRE AND SWORD features stunning set pieces and 
standout performances across the board.

For more info in english http://www.needcoffee.com/html/dvd/wfasword.htm, 
in ukrainian http://www.brama.com/news/press/990321ognem.html#trans