Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is considered to be the most internationally heralded Ukrainian film in history and a classic of Ukrainian magical realist cinema.
All ticket proceeds will go to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors is set in Western Ukraine (Carpathian mountains) circa the 1860s. It was banned in the USSR because it emphasized the unique Ukrainian culture and the fact that the language in the film was Ukrainian and not Russian. References to the Church and religion was also deemed objectionable by Soviet authorities.
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors is a Romeo and Juliet story: Ivan (Ivan Mikolaichuk) is madly in love with his childhood sweetheart, Marichka (Larisa Kadochnikova). The two, who are also neighbours, have formed an inseparable bond over the years, despite the rift that divides their families: her father murdered his father. Ivan intends to marry his beloved, but is forced to leave town in order to earn a suitable dowry. Once he departs, he endures a series of hurdles and tragedies.
Thanks to KINO LORBER for their generous donation permitting us to screen this film.
The screening in Waterloo will be introduced by Prof. John Jaworsky
The screening in Hamilton will be introduced by filmmaker, Terrance Odette
"Its principal asset as motion picture is the brilliant reproduction of ancient customs and traditional sentiments. It also has a spectacular and abundant musical score that carries much more emotion than the actors convey." - New York Times
"Here is visual poetry, so much rarer in the cinema than mere lyricism. An aesthetic pleasure from beginning to end, the film like its title conjures a feeling of legend and fairytale out of the simplest, documentary-real ingredients." - The Age
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