Looking back…
In Ukraine, it might seem useless to recall the words of the half-forgotten “leader of the proletariat” Lenin who said almost a century ago that “among all arts, for us (the Bolesheviks) – cinema is the most important.” This outstanding PR man of his time understood perfectly well that cinematography is a powerful tool to influence public opinion and establish a new form of ideology. Nevertheless, despite the various ideological pressures resulting from the Communist’s view of cinematography, Ukraine gave birth to a range of talented filmmakers in the Soviet period who have become acknowledged 'fathers' of world cinematography. So, what is the history of this most popular of the arts in Ukraine and how are things at present?