On January 5th, a theatrical release of Shchedryk started. The historical drama directed by Olesya Morhunets-Isaenko became the first Ukrainian film that premiered in the new year. After many festival screenings, the film about our complicated history is available to a wide audience.
The first premiere screening took place in Ivano-Frankivsk where the film is set. The second one happened in Lviv, where the audience was singing Ukrainian folk songs while waiting for the end of the scheduled blackout. After these inspiring screenings in the Western part of Ukraine, Shchedryk was finally released in Kyiv, in the Oscar cinema hall.
Ukrainian showbiz and film industry celebrities came to support the creators of the film. For example, there were actors Natalia Vasko, Oleksiy Surovtsev, Antonina Khyzhniak, Irma Vitovska-Vantsa, Alexey Tritenko, Inna Prykhodko, Natalia Babenko, Lesya Samaieva, film directors Lyubomyr Levytsky and Denys Tarasov, TV host Viacheslav Solomko, writer Andrii Kokotuha, screenwriter Serhii Kastornykh, singer TOM SODA, film bloggers pla_sna and Albina Safronova.
The film's creative team visited the special screening, in particular, producer Taras Bosak, director Olesia Morhunets-Isaenko, actors Iana Koroliova, Andrii Mostrenko, Andrii Isaenko, costume designer assistant Anna Surikova, costume designer Iana Nikitiuk, makeup artist Anna Tymofeieva, director of photography Eugene Kirey, gaffer Viktor Konoplianko, sound designers Ivan Haladiuk and Andrii Obod, casting director Irma Tsareva, and film editor Roman Synchuk.
After the screening, the audience applause loudly, and the filmmakers answered its questions for quite a long time.
Photos from the premiere: https://fex.net/ru/s/ern9cab
Three families, who live together, find themselves on the verge of the collision of empires, at the hopeless dead end of the occupation, and in the trap of the Second World War. The Ukrainian, Jew, and Polish families equally experienced the oppression of both the Third Reich and the punitive regime of the USSR.
The Ukrainian family, in the despair of the occupation, takes in children, whose parents have fallen victim to the aggressor regimes, and selflessly protects them as if they were their own daughter, Iaroslava. The girl dreams about bringing peace to the whole world through the Ukrainian folk song Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells), which is under the restrictions of the aggressors. The words of the Christmas song lead to the light in the darkness of German and Soviet enslavement.
“This film is very relevant for the times we now live in. It is very important – to know your history. I think it is interesting for children and adults both,” – comments the director Olesya Morhunets-Isaenko.
The historical drama film Shchedrylk is a co-production of Ukraine and Poland. It tells the story of uniting of three cultures, represented by three families – the Ukrainian, the Jewish, and the Polish. They try to survive by uniting in the face of evil and cruelty, without giving up hope for a peaceful and quiet future. For the characters of the film, the Ukrainian melody of Shchedryk becomes a symbol of good and light.
“Shchedryk is at the same time a beautiful and painful experience. Maybe, this is the first – I emphasize – the first Ukrainian film, where I didn’t notice the actors speaking the Ukrainian language very artificially. I know an example of such a series, and now this is the first film, the first in my life and in all the history of independent Ukraine,” – shared his thoughts Ruslan Horovyi.
“I thank Iana Koroliova for a new image of a strong, talented, and warm Ukraine that is able to take care of any child regardless of nationality, and give experience, soul, freedom, and even life for the sake of the future,” – says singer Artem Karpenko (TOM SODA).
This film tells about light and darkness, hope and despair, ruined human lives and unity in the face of war. Watch Shchedryk in all currently open cinemas across the country.
Media partners: Ukrainky online magazine and Kinowar online film portal.
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyK6jhc8Qtc
The film is produced by AMA VISION together with Stewopol with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the informational support of the Ukrainian State Film Agency. FILM.UA Distribution and Kinomania are the distributors of the film.
Follow the project’s news on FILM.UA Distribution social media (Facebook, Instagram) and on the film’s pages (Facebook, Instagram).
FYI
Title: Szchedryk
Genre: historical drama
Release date: 5.01.2023 (Ukraine)
Production: AMA VISION together with Stewopol with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine
Distributors (Ukraine): FILM.UA Distribution and Kinomania
Director: Olesya Morhunets-Isaenko
Producers: Taras Bosak, Artem Koliubaiev, Maksim Leshchenko
Scriptwriter: Kseniia Zastavska
DOP: Eugene Kirey
Production design: Vladlen Odudenko
Cast: Iana Koroliova, Polina Gromova, Evgeniya Solodovnik, Khrystyna Ushytska, Joanna Opozda, Andrey Mostrenko, Tomasz Sobczak, Milana Haladiuk, Alla Bineeva, Daryna Haladiuk, Miroslaw Haniszewski, Andrii Isaenko, Oksana Mukha, Anastasia Mateshko, Timofey Dmitrienko, Janina Rudenska, Tetiana Krulikovska, Volodymyr Kravchuk, Jakob Walser, Svitlana Shtanko, Polina Trehubova, Oleksandr Polovets.
