Cinema: Journal of Philosophy and the Moving Image

Perspectives on Ukrainian Cinema: Constructing National Identity and Cultural Resilience

Patrícia Castello Branco, Mariia Lihus — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Ukrainian Cinema And Cultural Mobilization During The Russian Invasion (2022)

Elżbieta Olzacka — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the mobilizing function of Ukrainian cinema in response to the Russian invasion. It starts by providing a concise overview of the mobilizing aspect of Ukrainian culture during the initial stage of Russian aggression in 2014-2019. The following section presents the situation of the Ukrainian film industry during the Russian invasion in 2022 and 2023, as well as the role played by cinema in mobilizing Ukrainian society and the world community to counter the aggressor. As shown, the production of new audiovisual content and the promotion of Ukrainian films strengthen the resiliency and unity of Ukrainians while also contributing to the formation of a coherent narrative encircling ongoing events. Furthermore, Ukraine's engagement in international film festivals and the dissemination of Ukrainian cinema via dedicated screenings play a significant role in fostering a positive perception of Ukrainians and Ukraine, acquiring moral support and financial and military aid. The article's final section analyzes recent cinematic projects related to the ongoing Russian invasion, examining the reasons and obstacles their creators face. The article is primarily based on analysis of pre-existing data sourced from the official websites of Ukrainian cultural institutions and renowned Ukrainian online media.

Music Of Ukrainian Poetic Cinema As A Space For Constructing National Identity In Ukrainian Culture

Mariia Lihus, Olha Lihus — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines the means of constructing and performing Ukrainian national identity in the music of Ukrainian poetic cinema. Cultural identity is considered a dynamic performative process, whereas film music is justified as a performative instrument of the organization and construction of cultural identity in situations of shared experience. The problem of Ukrainian national identity is exemplified by music in Shadows of the Forgotten Ancestors, A Spring for the Thirsty, The Evening on Ivan Kupalo, The Stone Cross, White Bird with a Black Mark, The Lost Letter, and Babylon XX. Authentic folklore and author music are regarded as the main music dimensions of constructing cultural identity in Ukrainian poetic cinema. In particular, Ukrainian authentic folklore and modern performances of the folk melodies of different national cultures are analyzed as a musical foundation of Ukrainian poetic films. The article also considers neo-folklorism of Myroslav Skoryk, avant-garde musique concrete of Leonid Hrabovskyi, and Volodymyr Huba’s music characterized by a combination of national musical timbres with intonations of different eras and national cultures.

Narrative Resistance In Kira Muratova's Cinema

Edgaras Bolšakovas — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In the late winter of 2022, just before the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, a screening of Kira Muratova's film The Long Farewell (1971) was scheduled in one of Vilnius' cinemas. When the invasion took place, the screening was cancelled, motivated by censorship of Russian cultural products. This misunderstanding was quickly corrected by the simple fact that Muratova's cinema is Ukrainian cinema. But this incident is an example of a wider historical misunderstanding regarding Ukrainian cinema and especially Muratova’s films. The main aim of this paper is to challenge the assumption that Muratova belongs to Russian cultural tradition through an analysis of three of Muratova's melodramatic films – Brief Encounters (1967), The Long Farewell (1971) and The Asthenic Syndrome (1989). In the current analysis I show that although these three melodramas do not explicitly refer to Ukrainian identity, the search for a more universal and humanistic morality through melodramatic temporality is closely linked to Ukraine. This can be seen in the reception of the films by the local Soviet authorities, which resulted in strict censorship and repression of Muratova's creative possibilities. I argue that while these films are in stark contrast to the official guidelines of the artistic dogmas of the Soviet state apparatus, they formulate a vision of life that resembles what Stanley Cavell calls moral perfectionism. However, Muratova's films not only adhere to Cavell's legacy but by showing the negative of Cavell's vision – what happens when members of society do not have the means to pursue an authentic moral life – she expands and updates Cavell's thought. The dialogue between Muratova's cinema and Cavell's philosophy is important not only because it extends and universalizes Cavell's notion of moral perfectionism, but more importantly because it shows a strategy of temporal resistance that is not based on folkloric references and filmed landscapes, but on the moral and philosophical human need for an autonomous life. As can be clearly seen in Muratova’s films, one of the necessary conditions for such a life is political liberty.

Kira Muratova; Stanley Cavell; Ontology of Cinema; Melodrama; Performative Cinema.

On The Poetics Of Cinematic Influence: Grossmapping Gestures In The Films Of Kira Muratova And Eva Neymann

Irina Schulzki — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Reflecting on the confines and the opportunities that the concepts of national identity and the artistic canon entail, this article offers a comparative analysis of two Ukrainian filmmakers with multicultural backgrounds: Kira Muratova and Eva Neymann. While film critics have speculated about Muratova’s ‘disciples’, frequently citing Eva Neymann among them, Neymann herself has openly dismissed any idea of being an epigone – a position perhaps rooted in the “anxiety of influence” that artists often experience with respect to heir forerunners. Nonetheless, a thread of continuity is discernible in Neymann’s oeuvre, not only through the shared backdrop of Odesa but also in the nuanced parallels in visual composition, narrative, and pacing that recall Muratova’s works while maintaining Neymann’s unique cinematic voice. Employing Harold Bloom’s theory of influence alongside Elizabeth Bronfen’s concept of crossmapping, this article aims to illuminate the dynamics of productive, albeit not necessarily conscious, influence within the cinematic worlds of the two filmmakers. Focusing on Neymann’s debut feature, By the River (2007), and her subsequent film House with a Turret (2012), the analysis reveals how Muratova’s iconography resonates within these works. It also examines how cine-poetic lineage is sustained through aesthetic formalisation, circulation, appropriation, quotation, and refiguration of images and gestures. This contributes to the development of a national cinematic canon and offers an understanding of national cinematic identity as an entity in flux.

Ukrainian cinema, Odesa, national identity, canon, multiculturalism, intercultural cinema, influence, crossmapping, gestures, image formulas, cinematic heredity, visual genealogy, female authorship, women filmmakers.

The Ukrainian Film Butterfly Vision (2022) And Women's Resistance To Wartime Trauma

Natascha Drubek — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the Ukrainian film Butterfly Vision (2022) by Maksym Nakonechnyi, which addresses the complex themes of wartime rape, women's resistance to wartime trauma, and the societal repercussions of such acts. Set against the backdrop of the occupation of Donbas, the film focuses on the life of Lilia, a female soldier who returns home from captivity to face the reality of her pregnancy resulting from rape. Through Lilia's journey, the film challenges societal norms and the trivialization of wartime rape, highlighting the struggle of women to reclaim their bodies and identities in the aftermath of violence.

The article examines the legal and historical context of wartime rape, citing the transformation in its perception from a 'crime of honor' to a recognized instrument of war and colonization, as evidenced by the Rome Statute and research on genocidal rape. It emphasizes the role of filmmakers in making visible the often overlooked or minimized narratives of wartime sexual violence.

In its analysis, the article contrasts Lilia's personal battle with broader discussions on the representation of women in cinema, particularly those who resist traditional roles and face societal shaming. The discussion extends to the portrayal of female figures with cropped hair, notably Jeanne d'Arc, as symbols of bravery and non-conformity. The film's portrayal of hair as a marker of femininity and vulnerability is analyzed in connection with historical and cinematic representations of women who defy gender norms.

Butterfly Vision is presented not only as a narrative about individual trauma and resilience but also as a commentary on national identity, gendered shaming, and the intersection of personal and political spheres. The article concludes by reflecting on the film's contribution to the discourse on wartime sexual violence and women's agency, positioning it as a significant work that challenges conventional narratives and promotes a deeper understanding of the complexities of women's resistance in times of conflict.

Construction And Representation of Cultural Trauma in Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema

Oleksandra Kalinichenko — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Ukrainian history has numerously been marked by large-scale historical events that caused cultural trauma and thus influenced and transformed Ukrainian art and cinema. Studying contemporary Ukrainian cinema within the context of cultural trauma is crucial for understanding the impact of historical and socio-cultural events on the country’s contemporary cinema. On the one hand, such an approach helps expand knowledge of traumatic events’ cultural manifestations and their impact on national memory and identity. On the other hand, the cinema itself could be viewed as a commemorative practice to overcome cultural trauma.

This article explores selected films of contemporary Ukrainian cinema through the lens of cultural trauma and how it could be represented through the audio-visual language of the cinema. The concepts of cultural and psychological trauma through sociological and psychological theories are used to read and decode the films (feature live-action films and documentaries). The article also features a brief overview of the history of Ukrainian cinema through the lens of cultural trauma theory, which allows to trace which particular images and film language have been transferred to contemporary Ukrainian cinema due to cultural trauma.