Distinctive Traits of Ukrainian Film Since the Start of the 21st Century

Abstract

This article examines the distinctive features of Ukrainian film dramaturgy at the beginning of the 21st century from a cultural studies perspective. Drawing on the examples of such films as “Assassination: An Autumn Murder in Munich,” “The Undefeated, The Iron Hundred, Metropolitan Andriy,” and “The Secret Diary of Symon Petliura,” the study traces new trends in screenwriting and the overall impact of film dramaturgy on contemporary Ukrainian cinema. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the emergence of cinematography, the peculiarities of Ukrainian screenwriting manifested in direc tors primarily turning to literary works. In the 1920s, while screenwriters worked within the All-Ukrainian Photo and Cinema Department (VUFKU) and promi nent writers were involved in filmmaking, a shortage of experienced scriptwriters remained a persistent issue. Consequently, film directors frequently assumed this role, adapting scripts written by both established masters and amateurs. In con temporary Ukrainian cinema, the director continues to play a leading role, often acting as a screenwriter or co-writer. Due to the processes of decolonization and the liberation of art from the grip of Soviet ideology, contemporary audiences can finally see historical events presented truthfully on screen—events that were systematically silenced during the Soviet era. Ukrainian cinema remains deeply national, a trait manifested pri marily through language, modes of communication, the interpretation of histori cal events and phenomena, plot-figurative concepts, and the representation of Ukrainian identity based on unvarnished historical facts.