Raduga

This was made in the Ukraine during the winter of 1943 and thus has a power and immediacy which it is impossible to replicate. The scenes depicting the fate of the peasant woman Olena, superbly played by Natalya Yzhviy, at the hands of the Germans, are truly visceral and linger long in the memory. The title refers to the rainbow which represents a symbol of hope for the oppressed villagers. Screenplay by Wanda Wasilewka from her novel and directed by Mark Donskoy this film is immensely moving and serves as a devastating historical document.