Film and Theater

The course on contemporary Ukrainian film and theater introduces students to the Ukrainian cinematographic tradition of the Soviet period through the present day. During the study of Ukrainian cinema of the Soviet period, we will analyze the work of iconic Ukrainian film directors, such as Alexander Dovzhenko, Sergey Paradzhanov, Roman Baloyan, and Kira Muratova. We will trace the reflection in their films of the Soviet reality in which the dissident artists lived and worked. We will also consider the impact of their films on democratization of Soviet society. In the second half of the quarter students examine the themes and trends of the Ukrainian cinema from 1991 to the present day, as they resonate in the films of Valentyn Vasyanovych, Sergei Loznitsa, Antonio Lukich, Dmitry Tomashpolsky, and Nadiya Parfan and discuss the relationship between cinematography and society in times of crisis. We will consider how changes in priorities and values in Ukrainian society resulting from the current conflict have affected the repertoire of Ukrainian theaters, particularly that of the Lesya Ukrainka Theater (formerly the Russian Drama Theatre), Theater-on-Podil, and the Ivan Franko National Theatre.