HOLIDAY – With one foot in the Soviet past and the other in Europe – Watch the short film on the Filmmakers for Ukraine Charity Screenings

Holiday is the portrait of people who demonstrated on Victory Day in a country to which war has returned. The short documentary film by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych is now available on the Filmmakers for Ukraine Charity Screenings Platform

How is it possible to build the ‘New Ukraine’ with one foot in the Soviet past and the other one bounding for Europe?”. That is the question posed by Holiday (original title: Vyckhidniy), the 2018 short film by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych shot five years ago during “Victory Day”. The 16-minute film is the new entry of the Charity Screenings, now available on Filmmakers for Ukraine.

Watch the trailer for Holiday:

I found myself on the main square of Mykolayiv on 9th May. Victory Day. This celebration was very important for Soviet Union and later for post Soviet countries. This film was made to discuss questions of identity and about our future.

At the moment Mykolayiv, is a very important city that is still resisting despite the everyday missile attacks by Russians. It is a Ukrainian forepost of resistance. What is going on there is giving hope for the liberation of south of Ukraine.

Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych

Watch the full statement by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych :

FILMMAKERS FOR UKRAINE
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Kyiv born Maksymenko-Dovhych is a journalist and a filmmaker that has worked with different Ukrainian TV channels as a creative producer, director, and editor. Today, Dovhych is the Head of the Directors Guild of Ukraine and also a member of Ukrainian Film Academy.

Holiday - Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych
Director Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych

Holiday premiered at DocuDays Ua (Kyiv, Ukraine 2018). In the same year, it screened at the Odessa International Film Festival, the BEAST film festival (Porto, Portugal) and WizzArt
Film festival (Lviv, Ukraine). The following year, the film kept on going on the festival circuit, screening at the Lisbon Film Rendezvous, and the GoEast (Wiesbaden, Germany). Holiday won the first prize for best short at the Rivne International Film Festival (Ukraine, 2018), the second prize for the best short film at the DocuBaku (Baku, Azerbaijan, 2018) and a special mention at the Open Night (Kyiv, Ukraine, 2018).

Holiday, by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych (2018)

Holiday - A film by Zhanna Maksymenko-Dovhych
A scene from Holiday

Synopsis:

People in a southern Ukrainian city come out to commemorate an important national
holiday. Old and new symbols mix in their quest for identity and common understanding.
Despite living on neighboring streets, the distance between them is growing. This is
a portrait of people who demonstrated on the main square of a city in a country to
which war has returned.

The film was shot on May 9th in Mykolayiv. The flagship city of Russia’s Imperial and
Soviet shipbuilding, the city which during Soviet times was considered completely
pro-Russian, suddenly reveals its Ukrainian essence. Discussions, various symbols,
the battle between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Soviet, red poppies and St. George’s
ribbon… In its search for a new self and place in modern day Ukraine, it hurdles itself
from one extreme to another.

“Holiday” – is a portrait of a city and its people. Set in the backdrop of monumental
changes within the country and the consciousness of its people. It is a film about the
search for identity: how is it possible to live with one foot stuck in the Soviet past and
the other bounding for Europe?

We need your help!

Discover the Ukrainian or Ukrainian-themed films available on the Charity Screenings Platform. New films available every week.
Renting a film costs 5 euros (short) or 9 euros (full-length).
All proceeds raised from streaming will be donated to Ukrainian filmmakers in dire need.
The Charity Committee operating within the NGO Filmmakers For Refugees decides on the allocation of funds.
For direct donations – go to Paypal.
Thank you to all viewers who join in this support effort!

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