The Eve of Ivan Kupalo: screening

This screening is part of Ukrainan Retrospective, an educational programme dedicated to Ukrainian cinema history in partnership with The Garden Cinema and Dovzhenko Centre.

Young peasant Petro falls in love with the daugter of his master, but her father refuses to let his daughter marry a laborer. The grieving Petro meets the diabolical Basavruk in a pub. Basavruk offers Petro a strange proposal that would help the boy acquire a beautiful wife.

Based on a story of Nikolai Gogol, director Yuri Illenko hides an allegorical history of Ukraine, from the Cossack and Tatar raids to Potemkin settlements and pilgrimages to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, behind this Ukrainian Faust. However, The Eve of Ivan Kupalo was ultimately banned by Soviet censorship, like Illenko’s previous work—The Well for the Thirsty.

Ukrainian Retrospective

The Ukrainian Institute London presents a retrospective of Ukrainian cinema, showcasing five iconic Ukrainian films at The Garden Cinema.

This film series will uncover Ukraine’s rich cinematic heritage for London audiences, with each film introduced by a Ukrainian film expert. These screenings are held in partnership with Ukraine’s largest archive of classic films, the Dovzhenko Centre.

The retrospective includes: