This year’s international film festival Molodist was launched with the usual pomp, with crowds by the Ukraine Palace, unsmiling security guards, long lines to the metal detectors, President Yushchenko’s address, the ceremony of awarding the Scythian Deer to the noted Iranian film director Mohsen Makhmalbaf (head of the jury) for his outstanding merits in the filmmaking art, followed by a pop folk show.
In terms of representation, Ukraine’s only truly international forum is improving with each passing year. After Makhmalbaf another prominent filmmaker, Jos Stelling from the Netherlands, stepped on the podium. His movie Dushka, with part of the location shooting done in Kyiv, opened the festival. He appeared with some of the cast, among them Ruslana Pysanka and former Kyivan, now Russia’s actor Sergei Makovetsky. Considering Stelling’s style, this production turned out too sentimental but proved a success with the audience who enthusiastically responded to the events on the screen.
The next day, Sunday, marked the beginning of the festival routine. The first festival films screened at the Kyiv Movie Theater that morning were shorts made by students. Two Norwegian productions, Anne Sewitsky’s Heartcut and Stian Kristiansen’s Hidden, turned out quite professional in terms of cameraman’s work, casting, and directing. Both are psychological dramas whose plots unfold in the family circle.
The serious, even somewhat gloomy atmosphere of the program was livened up by the Swiss surrealistic animated comedy Bottoobatoh about freelancing sailors and an octopus woman. Luca and Diego Governatori’s Giacomo’s Life (France) is about an extremely important day in the life of a young Catholic priest about to be ordained.
Ukrainian films were screened toward the evening. The situation with the shorts submitted by Karpenko-Kary University students reminded one of Hohol’s Marriage when the prospective bride tries to create an image of an ideal fiance, adding the nose of one of her admirers to the chin of another. Thus, Maryna Vroda’s Oath demonstrates an excellent cameraman’s performance, but the script is a total fiasco. Viktor Hurov’s Who is Tania? has a funny off-screen monologue, but the director’s work with the cast is anything but demanding. Without a doubt, the best of these is Roman Bondarchuk’s Taxi Driver. Great directing and the cast, mostly amateurs. The plot is about a girl who is abducted for her own good. A great many funny scenes, penetrating supporting roles, and the director has a keen sense of rhythm. There is one hitch: the tape is of god-awful quality. So, if the Oath’s cameraman and the tape could be used in Bondarchuk’s Taxi Driver, the result would be a true festival hit in the spirit of south Ukrainian surrealism. Too bad, there is no turning history back, including the history of the cinema. One can only hope that Roman will keep up his good director’s work, and that eventually he will have money and good tape.
The festival will last another five days, including two important nominations: professional shorts and full-length films that will determine the festival’s favorites and losers.
