Bitter Harvest (2017)

Set in 1930s Ukraine, as Stalin advances the ambitions of communists in the Kremlin, young artist Yuri battles to save his lover Natalka from the Holodomor, the death-by-starvation program that ultimately killed millions of Ukrainians.

Director:

George Mendeluk

Writers:

Richard Bachynsky Hoover (screenplay), George Mendeluk (screenplay)

Stars:

Max Irons, Samantha Barks, Terence Stamp

6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Barry Pepper	...	Yaroslav
Terence Stamp	...	Ivan
Aneurin Barnard	...	Mykola
Samantha Barks	...	Natalka
Richard Brake	...	Medved
Max Irons	...	Yuri
Tom Austen	...	Taras
Lucy Brown	...	Olena
Tamer Hassan	...	Sergei
Nicholas Aaron	...	Walter Duranty
Kathy Kiera Clarke	...	Varvara
Richard Ashton	...	Father Ostapovich
William Beck	...	Stefan
Rod Hunt	...	Anton
Edward Akrout	...	Professor Temchuck

Storyline

Set between the two World Wars and based on true historical events, BITTER HARVEST conveys the untold story of the Holodomor, the genocidal famine engineered by the tyrant Joseph Stalin. The film displays a powerful tale of love, honour, rebellion and survival at a time when Ukraine was forced to adjust to the horrifying territorial ambitions of the burgeoning Soviet Union. With an exceptional cast of established and rising stars, the film epically recreates one of the most dramatic and dangerous episodes in the history of 20th Century Europe.

---

Plot Keywords:

ukraine | famine | holodomor | genocide | soviet | 

---

Taglines:

Soviet Union. 1933. Stalin's tyranny could destroy their country. But not their love.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Website

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

24 February 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Devil's Harvest

Filming Locations:

Kyiv, Ukraine

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$219,357, 26 February 2017

Gross USA:

$557,241

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$904,399

Company Credits

Production Co:

Devil's Harvest Production, Tell Me A Storey

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Irons and Aneurrin Barnard played brothers Edward IV and Richard III, respectively in The White Queen (2013)

---

Quotes

[Last spoken lines, repeated line]
Yuri: [Voice over] My name is Yuri Kachanyuk, the son of Yaroslav Kachanyuk and the grandson of the famous warrior Ivan Kachanyuk. Before I grew up and learned that the dragons were real and evil roamed the world. I fell in love.

---

Soundtracks

Misyats na Nebi
Traditional song, Performed by Samantha Barks
Courtesy of Andamar Entertainment Inc.

User Reviews

Dark Page in the Human Experience

The Holodomor, or Ukrainian Holocaust is a dark topic. It is a short testimony to the power of the human spirit to survive even the most cruel and vile regimes in History. Even with the murder of 10 million Ukrainians by starvation in only 2 years, millions more survived. The bonds of love, family and heritage were what saved this great people from annihilation. Like the Holocaust in Germany only a decade later, we must learn and NEVER FORGET!!!