Descendants of Ukrainian immigrants made a film about the Holodomor with Hollywood actors

Screenshot from video

At the end of February 2017, the film Bitter Harvest will be released - the first full-length English-language project on the theme of the Holodomor.

The budget of the film was $ 20 million, the film starred famous Ukrainian and Hollywood actors, reportedly the official website of the film.

Still from the film “Bitter Harvest”. Photo: Official website of the painting

The whole budget was provided by one person who had not previously invested money in the film industry - Yan Ignatovich. He is engaged in business in the field of investment and medical technology and has invested his personal finances, because he hopes that this film will tell the world about the Holodomor, because before that only documentaries were filmed about these events, which are watched by a very small audience.

Shot from movie Bitter Harvest. Photo: Official site of the picture

“It was a very difficult process of creating the picture, primarily because the average viewer knows nothing about it,” says Ignatovich. — Those films that came before concentrated on the storyline. The historical background was secondary. We wanted to give it a more realistic feel."

Yan Ignatovich invested $ 1 million in personal funds in the 20 movie.
Photo: Max Lisova

Bitter Harvest ("Gіrkі stubs") is focused primarily on the western audience. The plot develops around the love story of Yuri and Natalia against the backdrop of Stalin’s terror, repression, famine and the struggle for survival.

The filmmakers planned to tell the story of one of the worst crimes of the 20th century in Europe, when Ukraine was forced to adapt to the brutality of the territorial ambitions of the burgeoning Soviet Union - an event that still haunts Europe, according to the film's official website.

Famous journalist and historian Diana Francis wrote in his article for Newsweek: "Bitter Harvest is an important film that everyone should see."

In the role of Yuri - the heir to the acting dynasty Max Irons (son of Jeremy Irons and Michelle Cusack). His beloved Natalya is played by Samantha Barks, the star of the latest film version of “Les Miserables”.

Shot from movie Bitter Harvest. Photo: Official site of the picture

Yuri's grandfather - Barry Pepper ("Rescue Private Ryan", "Green Mile"), father - Terence Stemp ("Star Wars. Episode 1", "Especially Dangerous", "Operation Valkyrie"). In the role of the red commander involved Tamer Gassan, starred in "Game of Thrones."

Ostap Stupka and Alexander Pecheritsa will appear in the film among the Ukrainian actors.

In the film, American and British actors wear embroidered shirts, sing Ukrainian songs, fight with the NKVD and defend the rights of Ukrainians. And Ukrainian - they play Ukrainian villagers and speak English.

The story of the characters is very close to the producer, director and screenwriter of the film, because they are descendants of Ukrainian immigrants.

The prototype of the main heroine of the picture - the mother of director George Mendelyuk. Escaping from hunger, she came from Kharkov to Lvov in search of bread and freedom.

Directed by George (Yuri) Mendelyuk in the film told the story of his family.
Photo: Max Lisova

The main theme in the soundtrack to the film was written by a British composer of Jewish origin, Benjamin Wollfish.

“His family survived the Holocaust, so he can relate to the themes of the film - his experience is commensurate with the Ukrainian one,” the filmmakers say.

The film also features Ukrainian folk songs performed by actors, and compositions by the Ukrainian group “Dakha Brakha” are also used.

Work on the project lasted almost 5 years. The script, written by Richard Baczynski-Hoover and co-written by George Mendeluk, was rewritten 12 times.

The shooting took place in Ukraine in the summer of 2013. The Museum “Pirogovo” (Kiev) became a village in Cherkasy region, where the main events of the painting take place. And the views of the Kremlin were filmed in London.

According to Variety, the film's producers have already agreed to film the film in Spain, Singapore, South Korea and other countries.

Pirogovo Museum - a Ukrainian village was filmed here.
Screenshot from video

The film has already been shown at several film festivals, it will be released in wide distribution simultaneously in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Ukraine and other countries of February 24 2017.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How Trump split the Ukrainian diaspora in the US

Russian billionaires will give Ukraine a record amount of the memorial to the victims of the Holocaust

Ukraine took the first place at the Festival of Light. Video

Memorial to Holodomor victims unveiled in Washington

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.