Top 5 Ukrainian can’t-miss movies of 2023

2023 was a major year for Ukrainian films and NV has a list of the movies that you just can’t miss. From captivating historical and war dramas, Oscar-shortlisted documentaries, and Ukraine’s most successful animated film of all-time.

Ukrainian films took international film festivals by storm, dominated Ukrainian cinemas, and set box office records.

Most of these films are available on Netflix’s international streaming service and Ukrainian platforms like Megogo, SweetTV, and Volia.

Here are the Top 5 must-see Ukrainian movies of 2023, as compiled by NV.

20 Days in Mariupol

Documentary

Director: Mstyslav Chernov

20 Days in Mariupol stands out as one of the most important films released in 2023. The film has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the prestigious 2024 Academy Awards.

The documentary premiered in January this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. It was also awarded the Tim Hetherington Special Jury Mention at the Sheffield DocFest International Documentary Festival in the UK.

Released in Ukrainian theaters in August, it became the highest grossing documentary in Ukrainian history after just a single week in the cinemas, according to DzygaMDB.

The unforgettable film is centered around footage taken from Ukrainian journalists from the Associated Press: camera operator Mstyslav Chernov, photographer Yevhen Maloletka, and producer Vasylisa Stepanenko. They arrived in Mariupol just hours before the invasion and were the only journalists with international accreditation that remained in the city, surrounded by Russian military forces.

They captured Russia’s crimes on camera, and these images quickly made it to the broadcasts and front pages of the global media, narrating the truth about the city's tragedy: the deaths of children, mass burials, the bombed maternity hospital, and other horrific Russian crimes.

A House Made of Splinters

Documentary

Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont

The documentary A House Made of Splinters has achieved a significant milestone after becoming just the second Ukrainian film to ever be nominated for an Oscar. The Denmark-Sweden-Finland-Ukraine co-production was among the Top 5 documentaries released in 2022.

The film tells the moving story of a children's home in now-occupied Lysychansk. At the time of filming, it was located just 20 kilometers from the front line. The film focuses on children deprived of parental care, who wait in the shelter to discover their fate: either returning to their old homes or moving to new ones. Meanwhile, the caretakers of the shelter provide these children with moments of joy and peace, attempting to make up for their lost childhoods.

The film's world premiere took place at the Sundance Film Festival's program in January 2022, where it received the award for Best Director in the International Program. It was released in Ukrainian cinemas in March 2023.

Mavka: The Forest Song

Animated

Directors: Olexandra Ruban, Oleg Malamuzh

Mavka: The Forest Song has become not only Ukraine’s most successful animated movie, but also Ukraine’s most successful film of all-time, both in domestic and international distribution. The film made 155,979,529 UAH ($4.13 million USD) at the Ukrainian box office, becoming Ukraine’s all-time leader. The film was released in 148 countries in 32 languages.

Seven years in the making, the film is based on Lesya Ukrainka’s drama-fairytale The Forest Song. Mavka: The Forest Song introduces audiences to the enchanting world of Ukrainian folk mythology and narrates the conflict between humans and nature.

Dovbush

Historical Drama

Director: Oles Sanin

Dovbush is a new large-scale historical film by Oles Sanin, the director of The Guide and Mamay. This time, the director delves into the story of the legendary Carpathian outlaw Oleksa Dovbush. The film has already garnered 68 million UAH ($1.8 million USD) at the Ukrainian box office.

Set in the Carpathian Mountains at the beginning of the 18^th Century, the film depicts the harsh rule of the Polish nobility, compelling locals to flee to the mountains. Two brothers, Oleksa and Ivan Dovbush, find themselves outside the law and go underground. In their quest for revenge against the nobles for the murder of their parents, the brothers turn against each other. One seeks money, the other justice. The Hutsuls start a rebellion led by Oleksa. The nobility does everything possible to destroy Dovbush, but he outwits them. The legend of the Carpathian knight grows, inspiring generations fighting for the freedom of their homeland.

The film is about the strength and love of Oleksa Dovbush, about betrayal and injustice, and about how he lived and cheated death.

Pamfir

Drama

Director: Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk

Pamfir premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight and captured the hearts of Ukrainians even before its theatrical release. The “Pamfir's Malanka” exhibition which displays costumes and masks from the film, garnered significant attention on social media. The film triumphed at the 2023 Ukrainian Film Academy's Golden Dzyga Awards, winning 11 awards in 22 categories, including Best Film. It has collected 11 million UAH ($291,000 USD) at the Ukrainian box office and participated at film festivals in 25 countries around the world.

The full-length drama unfolds in Western Ukraine on the eve of the traditional Malanka carnival. The story follows Pamfir as he returns home after a long absence, seeking to reunite with his family. His family's unconditional love leads him down a risky path with irreversible consequences.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine