If you want to achieve something important and rally other people round your project, you must first have a firm desire. This was the case with the film director Vasyl Viter when working on Bohdan Khmelnytsky. It was also true of Larysa Ivshyna, who discovered Viter’s talent and showed it on Den/The Day’s pages for all to see. This was true of the Ostroh Academy’s administration, teaching staff, and students who turned up to see the motion picture. That was probably why Ostroh Academy was the third place, after Kyiv and Lviv, to enjoy, on May 11, the premiere of Vasyl Viter and VIATEL Studio’s production Bohdan Khmelnytsky (with Viter as director and author of the script, and Halyna Kryvorchuk as VIATEL producer).
Before the screening in Ostroh, Larysa Ivshyna, editor in chief of Den/The Day and initiator of the project, introduced the guests and said, “Right after I watched this film in Kyiv, I thought that Vasyl Viter and Halyna Kryvorchuk, the general producer of the project Hra doli (Game of Destiny), should launch their production at Ostroh Academy. I was happy when they agreed. You need a serious product for Ostroh Academy, it has a highly trained audience. Moreover, VIATEL productions cultivate in the audience a new taste for taking a closer look at, and revising, Ukrainian history. [I also told myself that] Ostroh is probably where these filmmakers will find inspiration for a sequel.”
Exchanging brands has become a good tradition shared by Den/The Day and Ostroh Academy – Ivshyna’s name is associated with the Academy and Petro Kraliuk, OA’s first vice rector, has long been acknowledged as a major contributor of The Day. This exchange appears to be quite effective, uniting people with intellectual potential, helping them come up with new quality products.
After the screening of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Vasyl Viter, answering questions from the audience, said he wanted to make a film about the princes of Ostroh. This idea had long been voiced by Ihor Pasichnyk and Larysa Ivshyna. Also, regular readers of The Day know that 2010 was proclaimed the Year of Prince Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski [also known as Kostiantyn Ostrozky], a prominent Ukrainian politician of the late Middle Ages, though little-known in today’s Ukraine. By making this film Vasyl Viter will convey a message to the Ukrainian audience, stressing the important role played by this man.
Invariably, every meeting with noted persons at the Ostroh Academy evolves into a lively discussion. This time was no exception as the students asked Viter questions and shared their impressions after watching Bohdan Khmelnytsky.
WE MUST WASTE NO TIME STUDYING OUR HISTORY
Alisa HORDIICHUK, student:
“We are accustomed to viewing Bohdan Khmelnytsky in a very stereotypical manner, largely due to all the concepts imposed on us by Soviet historiography. Your film lays waste to a number of these stereotypes. For example, you are one of few to have demonstrated that Khmelnytsky’s life ended in failure, but that this in no way belittles his grandeur and importance. Quite the contrary: this helps one understand him better. Apart from Khmelnytsky, most other noted Ukrainian personalities are rather controversial. In your opinion, how many such films should be made to prod our society to revise not only one historic individual, but also our general approach to national history?”
Vasyl VITER:
“Are you asking how many such films I’m going to make? Let’s be reasonable. It would take some 780 years — just for the Hra doli series. As for how many films about our heroes and history Ukraine needs, we have to reckon with today’s realities, notably the current crisis. Every year we’d have to make about 150 films, each lasting at least an hour. This would be the only way to convey to the audience the names and life stories of our heroes, tell about their families and friends. These days, to consider yourself a true Ukrainian, you must have a fortress behind you; that fortress is your tribe. And by tribe/family I mean not just the names of your ancestors. I mean lots of life stories, with faces and tribal/family symbols. By the way, I’m sure each of you would discover something very interesting if you could trace your family tree to the time of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.”
Oleksii KOSTIUCHENKO, graduate student:
“Your Bohdan Khmelnytsky is proof that Ukrainian feature and documentary films are (a) interesting and (b) can raise social issues. Are other filmmakers in Ukraine specializing in this kind of productions? Or maybe you’re the only one, maybe you have your own school? This is very important, first of all because creative continuity, starting with Les Kurbas, reaching all the way to you, must not be interrupted. Second, in your opinion, what kind of Ukrainian films should we see more of?”
V.V.: “I have two television direction classes at the Karpenko-Kary National Cinema and Television University of Kyiv. The first one is made up of eight fifth-year students, and the second one of eighteen first-years. All of my students are taught on an individual basis, which means a great many sessions. I’m trying to teach them so they will want to make Ukrainian films after graduation. Regrettably, there are lots of graduates who have never make any such films. Instead, they specialize in Russian, or even Turkish productions. Sad but true. But there are other studios like this one elsewhere in Ukraine. Our productions aren’t financed by the central budget, so we use a very simple technique. We take a bank loan, with our property — like the car I drove in here — as collateral, hire a talented crew, I mean cameramen, script writers, audio engineers, and start filming. This is the situation today. Of course, I could make action movies — and I have made ones, with a good cast. Perhaps one of these days I’ll show you a film entitled Further than Arrow Flies.”
LOVING AND APPRECIATING YOUR OWN IS A NORM OF LIFE, NOT A FEAT
Taras DOVHALIUK, student:
“You made a rather effective production, but why this format: a story with portraits? A more dynamic approach would evoke a more emotional response from the audience, wouldn’t it?”
V.V.: “A very good, professional question. My reply, however, will be brief and to the point. I have never before told an audience about a single production budget. This time I will. Approximately a million hryvnias. A more dynamic approach would require about 50 million dollars. Wait till you watch Nikita Mikhalkov’s film. I did, out of professional curiosity. Right, a 50-million-dollar-budget movie. Why spend so much? There is a competition of sorts underway between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, for the best way to impose one’s interpretation of history on the other. Ukrainians have lost the Taras Bulba theme. Just as we were comparing scripts, they [Russians] made the kind of film they wanted. Kyiv audiences smirk watching it. From my own point of view, this film is absolutely fake in cultural terms. Remember how they portray the Zaporozhian Sich? Mostly elders and beggars. Could any of them have defeated the then best army of Europe, that of the Polish Kingdom? Or the Ottoman army, the best in all of Asia? As it was, few Sich Cossacks lived to celebrate their 30th birthday. This is just one blunder found in this production. Another one is that, in actuality, Cossacks who graduated from Ostroh Academy, who studied all over Europe, were people who sported stylish clothes. Whereas being a Cossack was in vogue, senior Cossack officers dressed to match any Polish szlachta aristocrat. No sign of this in the [Russian] film. Ukrainians are shown as living in log cabins. Now look up Beauplan charts and you’ll find only stone structures. We are being imposed a distorted view of our material culture and ourselves.”
Viktoria SKUBA, M.A. student:
“After your film was launched in Kyiv, there have been media responses — particularly from The Day — to the effect that one ought to learn from Khmelnytsky’s mistakes… At the same time, your film focuses on Khmelnytsky’s grandeur rather than his failures — probably owing to your innovative portrayal of statesmen through the prism of their personal emotions. We often criticize our heroes, considering their defeats against the background of their victories, instead of appreciating their victories against the background of defeats. Therefore, your film is important also because it creates a national myth that makes one appreciate one’s national identity and one’s country. How about following this proud national myth course and making a film about Prince Vasyl Ostrozky, this uncrowned king of all lands of Rus’, considering his name is part and parcel of Ostroh Academy history?”
V.V.: “I will. Meeting with you has made up my mind. I might as well tell you frankly that Vasyl Ostrozky’s was among the top ten — top fifteen, to be sure — names [on our list of productions], but we couldn’t get around to him. Now and then we received a budget and had to set off to start filming. Khmelnytsky is our 50th hero, simply because I’ve never previously visited Ostroh. What I saw here was a living wonder, really. It was my first visit to Ostroh. We were riding past backwater villages and then suddenly saw what could only be described as part of civilized Europe. Yes, this is an important subject and I will get right down to it. A plot will have to be worked out. We have a certain format. Hra doli’s. It has asserted itself over the past five years and Channel 5 has been playing our short films — which means that people have been watching them, and supporting the project. Well, that’s how experience accumulates over the years. Why is this important? There are practically no Ukrainian movies being screened in Ukraine. Instead, we have American and Russian distributors. Even if our dedicated public audiences want to see our production, they won’t find it in any of the local movie theaters. This makes it important for us to have special audiences like yours. There’s only so much VIATEL can do, as you can well imagine. We can only pray for our Lord to bestow us with health, strength, and above all determination to make these movies. Screening is an altogether different story. I can only hope that the film you’ve just watched hasn’t left you indifferent; that you believe that such films should be made. You’re the younger generation and there is no way to change [the mentality of] the older one. What will become of you? This is important for me to know. I would like to hear your reply to my question: Do you need Ukrainian films? If you do, we can start figuring out models and formats. It’s not worth expecting help from the state – filmmakers across the world use a very simple formula: get a bank loan, use the money to make a movie, the rest is up to the viewer. People buy tickets to movie theaters. If my film pays off, I repay the bank loan and proceed to make another film. That’s what filmmaking is all about. Now consider your position. You finance American and Russian films. We, in turn, being aware of the current difficult [financial] situation, start looking for other options. Thank God, we now have our own partners. Den suddenly came up with the simple idea of publishing daily ads concerning the Hra doli series being played by Channel 5. This resulted in our audiences increasing several times over. Helping each other is an old truth of life. We know that they want to buy tickets in Lviv. It’s important to start this mechanism, just as it is important to have the desire to do so.”
Ivan TOPISHKO, lecturer:
“There are two versions of the Hra doli Project, the one you’ve just watched and the television series made up of ten 15-18-minute episodes. Working on the launch version, we first planned to put together those short episodes, but this would mean a movie lasting for more than three hours. We then switched to a different kind of dramaturgy. Our television series had lots of footage showing revolts and the situation in churches in which Orthodox believer couldn’t pray in an Orthodox temple because such temples were leased out to Jews by Polish authorities. In the launch version we placed the emphasis on Khmelnytsky’s private life, on his love affairs — something we know precious little about. I absolutely agree with Lina Kostenko that love is the only thing that can save us. Your rector told me today that when he’d agreed to take the post, when Ostroh Academy was a shambles, most of his colleagues thought the man was off his rocker. I’m also off my rocker because I believe in love and that love and faith will reign supreme.”
COMMENTARIES
Tetiana KUCHERUK, OA student majoring in Literary Creativity:
“I’m happy to be an Ostroh Academy student, among other things because I can attend meetings with noted Ukrainians and actually talk to them — a very useful experience for a young individual. During such meetings you can find your own healthy lifestyle and solid worldview. I’m interested in modern filmmaking. Needless to say, Vasyl Viter’s visit was a very important event for me. Despite his kudos, this man proved quite sociable and understanding in dealing with the younger generation. As for Bohdan Khmelnytsky, after watching the film I felt proud of the presence of such personalities in our history. The small cast, the sequence of pictures on and off-screen dramatic vocal rendition combined to keep the audience in suspense, from beginning to end. I saw Khmelnytsky as not just a celebrated politician but also an extraordinary personality with his personal ups and downs. I believe that the Ukrainian people should rethink his biography. Vasyl Viter and the rest of the crew obviously undertook to create a solid Ukrainian historical myth. It’s a difficult task, but one being of the utmost importance to our society. After watching this film, all I can say is that I feel proud of our national history, and that I want to live in this country.”
Anna KOZACHENKO, student majoring in Documentation and Information:
“In the first place, I’d like to thank Larysa Ivshyna who has helped Ostroh Academy to become the third audience to enjoy the Bohdan Khmelnytsky premiere. Previously, I firmly believed that a documentary lasting more than two hours was too much. [Now I believe that] any documentary [of such duration], given Vasyl Viter’s innovative approach, is worth watching. I enjoyed watching this film. I regard it as a synthesis of the viewer’s fresh standpoint and the result of a deep-reaching analysis of a great many information and literary sources. Above all, this is the result of the film director’s correct viewpoint. Viter has succeeded in building a captivating image of the main hero; we see Khmelnytsky as a personality, as well as a father. It only in this context that he emerges as a celebrated military leader. Come to think of it, most of the known conflicts, coups d’etat, wars, and accomplishments have been caused by personal ambitions, love affairs, preferences — although quite often ‘overlooked’ by officially recognized historians. Vasyl Viter brings these causes to the forefront, making the viewer see Khmelnytsky’s hetmanship in light of contemporary realities. I don’t think that anyone will object to my saying that few people are interested in history. Why? Because history is often rendered as so many facts and figures, sometimes with a propaganda flavor. What does the proverbial man in the street want to know about history? He wants to know things that have a direct bearing on his daily life. Viter’s portrayal of Khmelnytsky allows this man in the street to see a familiar image and realize that everyone has problems that can’t be easily solved — except that such problems tend reach various priority levels.”
Yulia YARUCHYK, student majoring in Literary Creativity:
“The cinema is the most “massive” art. However, it is increasingly rare to see high-quality Ukrainian productions. Even worse, certain things have long lost their artistic character, although they should play a major role in our society. Ostroh Academy students were very lucky that they could watch Vasyl Viter’s unmatched documentary. His film should serve as a prime example to be emulated by our future domestic filmmakers. Bohdan Khmelnytsky forced everyone in the audience to remember national history and see the reason behind certain events. Most documentaries simply show what happened, where and when. This one makes you wonder what happened, what made it happen; it develops empathy. This film is not for entertainment (this would imply degradation). I daresay it raises each and everyone’s national consciousness to a higher level. After all, we can’t step into the future without having our past. Therefore, all of us, especially the younger generation, should spend more time studying our history and personalities who made it, otherwise we will find ourselves marginalized.”
VIATEL Studio was founded in 1994 by Vasyl Viter, a noted Ukrainian film director.
VIATEL has since made over 125 films.
Among its long-term projects is the trilogy about the revival of houses of God (St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, Assumption Cathedral, St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Chersonesos). The filming was done in 1997-2005, using the camera surveillance method. They were Ukraine’s first productions converted to Dolby digital format (2001-05) and DVD (2001).
In 2003, VIATEL also registered as VIATEL Publishers and produced a photo album in book format entitled The Story of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral. That same year they started publishing the periodical catalog Film Continent. In 2007, they created the website: www.continentfilmu.com
In 2005, VIATEL started filming the Hra doli short-episode documentary series (www.hradoli.com). A total of 79 films were ready by the end of 2009.
In 2008, VIATEL made the full-length documentary St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral: 900 Years Old, in collaboration with the State Cinematography Service at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine. That same year, a creative association known as Atelier 9 was attached to VIATEL, founded by a group of students of Kyiv’s Karpenko-Kary National University of Theater, Cinema and Television (KNUKT). They launched two projects: “Vernissage” and “Kyiv Incognito.”
VIATEL films have been submitted to numerous international exhibits and scholarly conferences, also to the Hannover Expo 2000 in Germany, exhibits in Lithuania, Malta, Poland, France, Italy, Macedonia, etc.
The photo album The Story of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral, was part of the Ukrainian display at the World Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main.
VIATEL films have vied in, and won awards during all-Ukrainian and international festivals (e.g., The Wind of Travel, Discover Ukraine, Cinechronicle, Youth, Prologue), including Tourfilm 2000 in Karlovy Vary.
VIATEL films are played by Ukrainian national and regional channels and broadcast abroad using satellite links, totaling 25 channels in Ukraine and other countries.
Over the past couple of years VIATEL has launched 40 films in movie theaters and community centers in Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Bila Tserkva, Pryluky, Chornobai, Partenit, and Yalta.
Den/The Day and Channel 5 were partners in the launch of Bohdan Khmelnytsky in Ukraine.
