THE FALL OF LENIN
Svitlana Shymko| Director | Svitlana Shymko |
| Producer | Yulia Serdyukova, Svitlana Shymko |
| Writer | Svitlana Shymko |
| Editor | Viktor Onysko |
| Sound | Roman Gomenyuk |
| Screening | 28 October 2017 | 18.00 hours | Het Nutshuis 3 November 2017 | 22:00 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag 4 November 2017 | 16:00 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag 4 November 2017 | 22:00 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag 5 November 2017 | 15:30 hours | Filmhuis Den Haag |
| Original Title | LENINOPAD |
| Year | 2017 |
| Length | 11 min |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Subtitles | English |
| Section | DOCUMENTARIES OPEN DEBATES |
An unusual and poetic archive short documentary revealing the absurdities of changing ideologies in Ukraine.
Synopsis
A spiritual session with the ghosts of symbols of the USSR. The film presents the dawn and the twilight of idols and the curious afterlife of history`s ghosts. Inspired by laws adopted in 2015 by the Parliament of Ukraine to condemn the Communist totalitarian regime and ban the use of its symbols. Ironic documentary about the farewell to the phantoms of the USSR in Ukraine. Latest short film by Svitlana Shymko, an independent director from Ukraine who works on the development of social, political and feminist topics in documentary cinema. The film premiered at the UK’s biggest documentary festival – Sheffield Doc/Fest – and got a Special Mention at the DOCU Days UA.
Director's statement
Observational style is a more usual way to make documentary films. At the beginning, I also had this idea to present different approaches towards the farewell to the Soviet epoch in Ukraine: some people are still nostalgic for this time, while others are willing to have more rapid transformation and remove all Soviet monuments. Eventually I understood that it is not enough just to show these opposing ideas.
Festivals & Awards (selection)
Sheffield Doc/Fest, 2017 – Official selection | DOCU Days UA, International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Kyiv 2017 – Special Mention | Odessa International Film Festival, 2017 | Riga International Film Festival, 2017 | Kinemastik International Short Film Festival, Malta 2017