On Sunday, January 15, viewers will be presented with an updated scanned version of the film “Stone Cross” (1968) by Leonid Osyka.
The screening of the film will be preceded by a short introductory lecture by the head of the scientific and program department of the Dovzhenko Center, Stanislav Bytyutskyi. An updated scanned version of the film will be shown for the first time as part of the event.
“Stone Cross” — one of the key films of Ukrainian “poetic cinema”. At the same time, this is a film that, along with ethnographic films, contains a rather strong sociopolitical component.
Based on Vasyl Stefanyk’s two short stories “The Stone Cross” and “The Thief”, Leonid Osyka and the screenwriter of the film Ivan Drach showed the moral views of the Galician peasants at the end of the 19th century and their difficult social situation, which forced them to leave their native lands en masse. However, while shooting this movie in the late 1960s in Ukraine, they couldn’t help but talk about Ukraine in the 60s: about Soviet terror, Stalinist repressions, and the moods that prevailed in society. Yes, unexpectedly, an additional, hidden, level appeared in the film.
According to the story, on the eve of Ivan Didukh’s departure from Galicia to emigrate, a robber sneaks into his house. Ivan catches the thief and arranges a night court for him in the neighborhood. By morning, Ivan forgives the thief, but his neighbors still decide to punish the culprit. After that, Ivan sets up a fireplace cross on the mountain and goes to say goodbye to his neighbors.
Thanks to its visual expressiveness, the tape became one of the emblematic works of Ukrainian cinema of the 1960s. It was the frame from the “Stone Cross” that graced the cover of the Ukrainian edition of one of the most famous books about Ukrainian cinema, “The History of Ukrainian Cinema” by Lubomir Goseik.
“Stone Cross” occupies the 5th position in the list The 100 best films in the history of Ukrainian cinemacompiled as a result of a survey of representatives of the national and international film critic community.
The film screening and discussion will take place as part of the educational program for the “Heart of the Earth” exhibition, which is ongoing in the Art Arsenal. The exposition of the works of 16 Ukrainian artists is dedicated to the earth, in particular to the relationship: the earth is a person, to whom this earth is dear, food.
When: January 15 at 2:00 p.m
Where: Lecture hall of the Art Arsenal, str. Lavrska, 10-12
Entry to the event is based on a ticket to the “Heart of the Earth” exhibition. Tickets can be purchased at the box office. Price: UAH 80, discounted UAH 40 (for schoolchildren aged 12 and over, students and the elderly, provided they have a valid ID), free for children under 12, military personnel, participants in hostilities, IDPs (with the relevant document).
The event will take place even in the event of a power outage.
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