12+
Soviet-era Ukrainian cinema, and animation in particular, cannot be viewed solely through the lens of entertainment or aesthetics. Even the most ostensibly apolitical film released in a country where cinema served as one of the state's principal instruments of mass influence inevitably underwent repeated scrutiny by the censorship authorities, who placed it within a specific ideological framework. Naturally, the degree of creative freedom — or rather, the lack of it — varied from one film to another.
Each year, the Artistic Animation Studio of KyivNaukFilm produced 10–12 short films. At least one of them, however, was expected to convey an explicit ideological message. These were typically films on revolutionary history or wartime themes, or outright pamphlets condemning the capitalist world. More experienced members of the studio often took on the difficult task of fulfilling this ideological quota, allowing younger filmmakers to work on subjects less constrained by ideological demands. These films are filled with narratives of the "brotherly nations", sacrifice in the name of revolution and war, and Ukrainians portrayed as traitors to their own people.
So why bring these skeletons out of the cupboard today? Certainly, not to judge their creators by contemporary standards. Rather, it is an opportunity to take a mature look at our history, trace the evolution of Ukrainian animation, and understand how propaganda functioned within the medium. Doing so helps free us from the persistent ghosts of the past and equips us to recognise them in the future.
The films Drunken Wolves (1962) by Ipolyt Lazarchuk and Why the Donkey Has Long Ears ?(1977) by Iryna Hurvych, included in this programme, have been digitised for the first time and will be presented to the public.
Film prints provided by the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre.
Curated by Alona Penzii.
Running time 75 min.
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USSR | 09:00 | 1982
Using his personal connections, Kondrat borrows a pair of oxen from the collective farm — not for any socially useful purpose, but to conceal his illicit moonshine production in the forest. However, a barrel of fermenting mash is accidentally discovered by a pack of wolves.
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USSR | 10:00 | 1977
A donkey-like creature, though with unusually short ears, peacefully grazes in a pleasant meadow. But suddenly, under the influence of cawing crows and hooting owls, its ears begin to grow, and the world around it starts to change.
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USSR | 05:00 | 1971
The story of a courageous boy who, during wartime, makes an immense sacrifice for the greater good. His brave act inspires hundreds of other children.
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USSR | 09:00 | 1977
The revolutionary masses march in ornamental unity from the October Revolution of 1917 towards a radiant communist future. The film combines documentary footage from the period of the so-called Brezhnev Stagnation with psychedelic visions of the future, featuring peaceful nuclear energy and the conquest of other planets — achievements imagined to be realised by 2017.
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USSR | 09:00 | 1981
A historical-revolutionary film depicting the Civil War, the October Revolution, and the difficult, sacrificial path towards education in rural communities.
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USSR | 15:00 | 1980
The story of a rogue who, throughout the ages, repeatedly attempts to sell Ukraine to foreign powers. Yet the country's only possible path of development lies within the "family of brotherly nations" of the Soviet Union.
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USSR | 10:00 | 1982
Three brave warriors served the nobleman Putiata, and all three were named Ivan. They proved their courage in real battle, unlike their master, who earned honours for bravery only in his dreams. An animated film reinforcing the myth of the "fraternal unity" of the Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian peoples.
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USSR | 09:00 | 1991
An adventure story about a young girl named Tussi who, inspired by her father's stories, dreams of sea voyages and heroic victories over pirates. The imagery is infused with a gentle sense of nostalgia. "Just don't tell anyone about your dreams and plans," her father advises. Viewers only learn the identity of this inspiring father in the film's closing moments — and it is certainly not the name one would expect to hear in a film made in 1991.