The Cinematheque

“A visually astonishing work on the borderline between cinematic narrative and pure poetry … One of Illienko’s richest films.”

Film at Lincoln Center

Yurii Illienko was the most prominent contributor to Ukrainian poetic cinema. As a cinematographer, he was internationally recognized for his work on Sergei Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965). Little seen outside of Ukraine even today, The Eve of Ivan Kupalo (1965), shot on 70mm, is the second film directed by Illienko. A loose adaptation of Mykola Hohol’s story of the same name, the film is like a lucid dream, a visual poem full of rhythmic repetitions, startling montage, fluid camera movement, and solarization. At the heart of the story is a forbidden love. A father prevents a poor farmhand, Petro, from marrying his daughter, Pydorka. Satan intervenes, offering Petro a deal in exchange for the gold he needs to open the way to marriage. Through an amalgam of mystical folk motifs, Cossack songs, and satirical representations of village life, Illienko gives viewers a unique glimpse into Ukrainian history and a surreal critique of Ukraine’s colonial domination by Russia.

In Ukrainian with English subtitles

The screening on October 23 will be preceded by a 6:00 pm reception and video introduction by curator Alina Senchenko.

“There are some really shocking edits that were very inspiring for Nosferatu … Quite spooky.”

Robert Eggers

“Illienko, who also wrote the screenplay, displays his acquaintance with Chagall, Hieronymus Bosch, and Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane.”

Walter Goodman, The New York Times