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

5 nominations.

Cast

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

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Plot Keywords:

ukraine | famine | holodomor | genocide | soviet | 

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Taglines:

An epic film based on historical facts.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katya is played by Belle Hassan who is Tamer Hassan's daughter. Belle is a contestant on Love Island 2019.

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Quotes

Title card: [at the end of the film]
Title card: Only a few made their way past Stalin's border guards and escaped to freedom. The genocidal famine created by the Soviets in 1932/33 is known today as the Holodomor - Death by Starvation. The full horror of this deliberate policy of genocide towards Ukraine was revealed only after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2003, Russia signed a U.N. declaration confirming that the Holodomor had taken the lives of between 7 and 10 million innocent people. Today, the ...

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Soundtracks

Wedding March
Music by Anatoliy Mamalyga and Iryna Orlova
Performed by Olha Chornokondratenko (Violin); Vadym Chornokondratenko (Tambourine)
Courtesy of Andamar Entertainment Inc.

User Reviews

superficial

...is the first word about it from me, a man from East, with Ukraine roots. but, scene by scene, you discover its virtue. not so insignificant. because it is an introduction, with form of lesson, to the Holodomor. so, it represents a sketch, with decent performances, not the most inspired dialogues, so simple than it coulb seem be pathetic and fake. but, after its end, you discover it as a nice try. not convincing, too American, using classic ingredients and tricks for a storyy more complex and profound for have need of them but, maybe, a reasonable start point for discover one of most terrible crimes from XX century. sure, it is not perfect and for a viewer like me seems a sort of blasphemy. but, it is a try. or a small hommage. in fact, a first step for propose to West a story about a land and its sufference. and that saves a part from huge mistakes of film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Website

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English Ukrainian

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