Dovzhenko Film Studios Explained
The Dovzhenko Film Studios (Ukrainian: Національна кіностудія художніх фільмів імені О. Довженка, translit.) is a former Soviet film production studio in Ukraine that was named after the Soviet film producer, Oleksandr Dovzhenko, in 1957. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the studio became a property of the government of Ukraine. In 2000, the film studio was awarded national status.[1]
History
The studios began in the 1920s when the All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema-Directorate (VUFKU) announced a project proposition for the construction of a cinema factory in 1925. Out of 20 of them was chosen the project of Valerian Rykov, who led his architect group composed of students of the Architectural Department of Kyiv Art Institute in the construction of the O. Dovzhenko Film Studios beginning in 1927. It was at the time the largest in the Ukrainian SSR. Although the filming pavilions were still unfinished a year later, movie production had begun. Many memorial plates are within the studios in memory of the many film producers who had once worked here. One film pavilion is named Shchorsivskyi, because Oleksandr Dovzhenko shot his film Shchors there. This area of the studios is used as a museum.[2]
The first movie of the film studio was "Ivanko and the Butcher" by director Aksel Lundin and cameraman A. Meines. Filming began on October 12, 1927, and took place at night, as pavilions were being built during the day. Many talented directors have come to the studio since the first films were shot — Oleksandr Dovzhenko, Arnold Kordium, Pavlo Dolyna, Leonid Lukov, Ivan Kavaleridze, Igor Savchenko, Favst Lopatynskyi; operators — Danylo Demutskyi, Yurii Yekelchyk, Mykola Topchii, Yozef Rona, I. Shekker, Oleksii Pankratiev; writers — Mykola Bazhan, Oleksandr Korniichuk, Hordii Brasiuk, V. Okhrimenko. It immediately affected the number and quality of the works and the variety of movie genres. In 1929, 10 films were already made.
Since 1930, cinema has become under the control of the state and has served to spread the ideology of communism among the population. Still, the 1930s for the Kyiv Film Factory were important years of formation.
In October 1941, the studio was evacuated to Tashkent, where it will continue its activities until the liberation of Kyiv. During the German occupation of Kyiv, the studio premises were used as a production base for the creation of propaganda films by the Ukraine Film Society.
The apple orchard on the side of the avenue near the studios was planted by the order of Dovzhenko himself. In 1957, it was named in memory of Oleksandr Dovzhenko.[3]
Since 1987, the Debut, specialized in the first films of directors. His managers were Alexander Adolov (until 1990) and Arthur Voattsky (after 1990).
In December 2009, a studio for the digital restoration of Ukrainian films was opened on the complex.[4]
The Dovzhenko National Film Studio is an enterprise with a full complex technological cycle. Along with the shooting of its own films, the film studio provides services to other film and television companies in the production of their products, belongs to the producers of national films in Ukraine, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from January 26, 2011 No. 48.
Selected films
Soviet Union
- 1929 Ukrainian: Человек с киноаппаратом / Man with a Movie Camera, directed by Dziga Vertov (documentary film)
- 1930 Ukrainian: Земля / Earth, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko (silent film)
- 1932 Ukrainian: Иван / Ivan, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko (silent film)
- 1935 Ukrainian: Аэроград / Aerograd, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko (science fiction)
- 1939 Ukrainian: Щорс / Shchors, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko (documentary film)
- 1941 Ukrainian: Богдан Хмельницкий / Bohdan Khmelnytsky, directed by Ihor Savchenko (historical)
- 1951 Ukrainian: Тарас Шевченко / Taras Shevchenko, directed by Ihor Savchenko (biographical)
- 1960 Ukrainian: Вдали от Родины / Far from the Motherland, directed by Aleksei Shvachko (espionage)
- 1961 Ukrainian: За двумя зайцами / Chasing Two Hares, directed by Viktor Ivanov (comedy)
- 1963 Ukrainian: Королева бензоколонки / Queen of the Gas Station, directed by Mykola Litus and (comedy)
- 1964 Ukrainian: Тіні забутих предків / Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, directed by Sergei Parajanov (historical)
- 1964 Ukrainian: Туманность Андромеды / The Andromeda Nebula, directed by Yevheniy Sherstobitov (science fiction)
- 1965 Ukrainian: Криниця для спраглих / A Spring for the Thirsty, directed by Yuri Ilyenko (surrealist)
- 1968 Ukrainian: Анничка / Annychka, directed by Borys Ivchenko
- 1970 Ukrainian: Білий птах з чорною ознакою / White Bird with Black Mark, directed by Yuriy Illienko
- 1972 Ukrainian: Пропала грамота / The Lost Letter, directed by Borys Ivchenko (comedy)
- 1973 Ukrainian: В бой идут одни «старики» / Only Old Men are Going to Battle, directed by Leonid Bykov (historical)
- 1976 Ukrainian: Аты-баты, шли солдаты... / Aty-baty, Soldiers were Going..., directed by Leonid Bykov (historical)
- 1976 Ukrainian: Тревожный месяц вересень / The Troubled Month of Veresen, directed by Leonid Osyka (historical)
- 1978 Ukrainian: Дознание пилота Пиркса / Test pilota Pirxa, directed by Marek Piestrak
- 1980 Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрый / Yaroslav the Wise, directed by Hryhoriy Kokhan (historical)
- 1981 Ukrainian: Така пізня, така тепла осінь / Such Late, Such Warm Autumn, directed by Ivan Mykolaichuk
- 1988 Ukrainian: Новые приключения Янки при дворе короля Артура / New Adventures of a Yankee in King Arthur's Court, directed by Viktor Hres
Ukraine
- 1991 Ukrainian: Голод-33 / Famine-33, directed by Oles Yanchuk
- 1991 Ukrainian: Чудо в краю забуття / Miracle in the Land of Oblivion, directed by Natalia Motuzko
- 1995 Ukrainian: Атентат - осіннє вбивство в Мюнхені / Assassination. An Autumn Murder in Munich, directed by Oles Yanchuk
- 1995 Ukrainian: Москаль-чарівник / Moskal-Charivnyk, directed by Mykola Zasieyev-Rudenko
- 1997 Ukrainian: Приятель небіжчика / A Friend of the Deceased, directed by Viacheslav Kryshtofovych
- 2000 Ukrainian: Нескорений / The Undefeated (2000 film), directed by Oles Yanchuk
- 2001 Ukrainian: Молитва за гетьмана Мазепу / Prayer for Hetman Mazepa, directed by Yuriy Illienko
- 2002 Ukrainian: Чорна Рада / Chorna Rada, directed by Mykola Zasieiev-Rudenko
- 2004 Ukrainian: Залізна Сотня / The Company Of Heroes, directed by Oles Yanchuk
- 2008 Ukrainian: Владика Андрей / Metropolitan Andrey, directed by Oles Yanchuk
- 2008 Ukrainian: Закон / The Law, directed by Vitaliy Potrukh (short film)
- 2009 Ukrainian: Хай Бог розсудить їх ... / Let God Judge Them, directed by Yevhen Khvorostianko (short film)
- 2012 Ukrainian: Гайдамака / Haidamaka, directed by Roman Synchuk (short film)
- 2012 Ukrainian: Метелик / The Butterfly, directed by Maxim Neafit Bujnicki
- 2012 Ukrainian: Мамо, я льотчика люблю! / Mom, I Love a Pilot!, directed by Oleksandr Ihnatusha
- 2013 Красна Маланка /Krasna Malanka, directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk
- 2015 Ukrainian: Загублене місто / Lost City, directed by Vitaliy Potrukh
See also
References
- Ruta Malikenaite. Guildebook: Touring Kyiv. Kyiv: Baltia Druk, 2003.
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. Peter Rollberg. Rowman & Littlefield. 2009. US. 978-0-8108-6072-8. 191–194.
- News: Кино и цирк: призрак приватизации. . Aug 2, 2022.
- Web site: История нашего кино: Киностудия им. А. Довженко. www.domkino.tv. Aug 2, 2022.
- https://archive.today/20130113225423/http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/main/28046/ Studio for digital restoration of Ukrainian films opens in Kyiv