Cinema
The White Bird Marked with Black
Білий птах з чорною ознакою
Yuri Illienko · 1970
Synopsis
From 1937 to 1947, in a Bukovinian village on the Cheremosh, on the Romanian border, lives the family of Les Dzvonar, who earn their living by smuggling. His four sons play together in the village orchestra; but the arrival of the Soviets, and then the war, separate them: Petro joins the Red Army, Orest the insurgents of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, the youngest, Bohdan, stays at home, and their paths cross again, in love as in the mountains, weapons in hand.
Context
The idea came from Ivan Mykolaichuk, who wrote the screenplay with the director; he wanted to play Orest, the insurgent brother, himself, but was forbidden to, and the part marked Bohdan Stupka's screen debut. Shot at the Dovzhenko studio, the film was awarded a prize in Moscow in 1971, but its distribution was restricted in the Soviet Union, where it was judged harmful to young people, while it was shown abroad. It is the first Ukrainian film to deal with the Insurgent Army.
Who it is for
A film that is sung and danced as much as spoken, in which popular songs and dances carry part of the story; the director, a former cinematographer, makes the image carry the meaning as much as the plot.
Prizes and reception
Gold medal at the Moscow festival and United Nations peace medal in 1971, State Prize of Ukraine in 1988; eighth among the hundred best Ukrainian films.
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