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| Ukrainian film "Toloka," directed by Mykhailo Illienko, opens the first Ukrainian film festival in the Korea CinemAid Ukraine Film Marathon. Courtesy of TRA Media |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Though it made headlines this year mainly because of Russia's invasion, Ukraine is a country with a rich cinematic tradition, and an upcoming film festival offers a glimpse into Ukrainian's creativity.
The CinemAid Ukraine Film Marathon has arrived in Korea, screening four Ukrainian films through Nov. 20. Co-organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in Seoul, TRA Media and the Korean Film Archive (KOFA), the event presents four films showing diverse aspects of Ukraine, its history, culture and people.
The CinemAid Ukraine Film Marathon was launched by the Ukrainian State Film Agency and the country's filmmaking community and presented in other countries, including the United States, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Belgium and Kenya, to support Ukrainian cinema and Ukrainian filmmakers in these difficult times.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko welcomed Korean viewers who came to watch the opening film, "Toloka," at the Cinematheque KOFA in western Seoul, Tuesday.
"Ukrainian cinema may not be well-known in Korea yet, but Ukraine has played a significant part in the birth of modern cinema. Many key names of the 20th century cinema were Ukrainian, although their national identity was obscured in the Soviet times. Our cinema nowadays is rich and distinctive. It has a lot of new names, high-profile films and more different themes and genres," Ponomarenko said.
"Following Russia's full-scale military invasion, we have all watched with an increasing sense of horror as the unfolding situation in our country, Ukraine, affected the lives of Ukrainians and filmmakers, who are no exception," he said.
"The Ukrainian film community has become an integral part of the resistance to the aggression. Many outstanding filmmakers, producers, actors, screenwriters (and) specialized experts have to hold weapons, now defending their country at the front. Some use cameras as a weapon, documenting the truths about the war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine. While Russia attempts to destroy our cultural heritage, many Ukrainian filmmakers and actors continue to work in Ukraine and introduce Ukrainian culture to the world," he said.
Ambassador Ponomarenko added that he hopes the CinemAid Ukraine program will promote a better understanding of Ukrainian culture and traditions.
"I am convinced that with the support of our international partners, we will rebuild the country and the world will see more new and exciting films produced by the talents of Ukrainian filmmakers," he said.
KOFA Director Kim Hong-joon expressed his hopes to strengthen cooperation in the motion picture industries between Korea and Ukraine through this event and in the future.
"I hope the CinemAid Ukraine film marathon contributes not only to the cultural cooperation between Korea and Ukraine, but also to the peace and prosperity of the two countries by screening Ukrainian films that can help people understand the history and culture of Ukraine," Kim said.
"Now that the world is connected, the current situation in Ukraine is not irrelevant to Korea. I hope that Ukraine overcomes the current hardship and returns to normal life as soon as possible," Kim said.
Before the screening of the opening film, Olena Shchegel, a professor of Ukrainian studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, gave a brief lecture on the background of Mykhailo Illienko's film "Toloka," which means, "helping each other to create something together" in Ukrainian.
Shchegel said the core concept of this film is the "hata," or house in Ukrainian. "Director Illienko's hata goes beyond a simple residential facility. It is not just a house to live in. Hata refers to the land, culture and language of Ukrainian ancestors that Ukrainians have protected by making sacrifices and risking their lives. In other words, Illienko's hata symbolizes the national sovereignty of Ukraine," she said.
"Toloka" is being screened on Nov. 15, 17 and 20.
Other films shown during the festival include "Carol of the Bells" by Olesya Morgunets-Isaenko (Nov. 16 and 18), "DZIDZIO Contrabass" by Oleg Borshchevsky (Nov. 17 and 20) and "11 Children from Morshyn" by Arkadiy Nepytaliuk (Nov. 16 and 18).
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