Povodyr

When I heard about this movie in the first time, sincerely, I was intrigued. Ukrainian film production is surviving sphere, but indeed it can produce GOOD movies, with unexpected, not trivial plot, strong and mysterious characters, dramatic end.

This film has it's soul too. Minstrel's songs, chaotic escaping and changing of epochs in totalitarian empire via pure eyes of ten-year boy...

This film deserves to be watched. Definitely.

P.S. Maybe You don't know, but in real life NKVD chief's surname is Kobzar (minstrel). And. I await the next generation of Ukrainian films: about Kyiv Rus, Zaporozhian Host, epic and big-budget. Soon.

After creation of Soviet Union the cultures of all nations except Russians were oppressed here. Many cultural figures of Ukraine (writers, poets, scientists, theater and movie directors, actors, painters, musicians, folk artists, etc) undesirable for Soviet regime were executed or exiled to Siberia on the hard physical works, especially during the 1930s (it is known as Executed Renaissance). Among such figures were bandurists, the folk musicians who played on the bandura (Ukrainian folk string instrument) and sign mainly the patriotic sad ballads about cossacks, the Ukrainian steppe warriors of the 15-19 centuries.

Main plot of this movie is a story of a blind wondering bandurist Ivan Kocherga in 1932-1933. Accidentally he gives some help to American boy Peter, whose father was killed by Soviet special services because of some secret documents, and takes him as sighted person – the guide.

Blind bandurist and his young guide are traveling in Eastern Ukraine among the beautiful landscapes and witnessing repressions of Ukrainian people by Soviet regime.

This movie is excellently visualized, which is combined with great music, including numerous Ukrainian folk songs.

It is clearly the best movie about Ukrainian culture since famous "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (1965) of Sergei Parajanov and definitely the best one that was filmed in independent Ukraine so far.

This is one of the must-see films for those who wants to meet struggling Ukrainian history and to know the true face of the Soviet reign.

The Guide is a nice Ukranian historical drama from 2014 directed by Oles Sanin. It is really well made and has some good performances. Cinematography is quite overexposed on many scenes, making the actual look of the movie kind of artificial with overly dramatic lights or forced lack of colors, specially on the first half. When it explores the rural landscapes, the heavy snow, fog and the open air scenes, the results is far more effective. Anton Sviatoslav Greene was a good cast for the little Ukranian-American boy character, the same for Aleksandr Kobzar as Comrade Vladimir. These are my favorite performances on The Guide. The Kobzar universe is quite interesting and the music they play and sing is really stunning, but the whole "fight" thing was completely unnecessary - despite that it was factual, the results on screen vary from bad to worst, and doesn't add anything to the plot, neither help them to avoid their fate. All this together with a script that is sometimes a bit confusing, specially for non Ukranian audiences, I rate it 7 out of 10. Worth watching anyway!

This movie is one of the few that impartially present the difficult times Ukraine found itself in during the 1930's. The times of massive repressions and executions of the civilian population, murder by forced starvation, and persecution of anyone who disagreed with the Soviet government in Moscow.

Basic knowledge of Eastern European history of the early 20th century would greatly help to see what links certain events together.

I suggest you read the synopsis before watching the movie to have a better understanding of the events that take place. Their true historical weight is what really gives them a deeper meaning.