Wolyn (2016)

Despite being in love with a Ukrainian boy from the same village, Polish girl named Zosia is forced into marrying a wealthy widower. Soon World War II begins and ethnic tensions arise. Amidst the war chaos Zosia tries to survive.

Director:

Wojciech Smarzowski

Writer:

Wojciech Smarzowski

Stars:

Michalina Labacz, Arkadiusz Jakubik, Wasyl Wasylik

16 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michalina Labacz	...	Zosia Glowacka
Arkadiusz Jakubik	...	Maciej Skiba
Wasyl Wasylik	...	Petro
Adrian Zaremba	...	Antek Wilk
Izabela Kuna	...	Glowacka
Jacek Braciak	...	Glowacki
Maria Sobocinska	...	Helena Glowacka-Huk
Oleksandr Zbarazkyi	...	Vasyl Huk
Volodymyr Protsiuk	...	Orlyk
Oleksandr Chesherov	...	Mykola
Lech Dyblik	...	Hawryluk
Roman Skorovskiy	...	Stiepan Szuma
Zacharjasz Muszynski	...	Bohdan
Michal Gadomski	...	Jurny Jurczak
Gabriela Muskala	...	Bronka

Storyline

Despite being in love with a Ukrainian boy from the same village, Polish girl named Zosia is forced into marrying a wealthy widower. Soon World War II begins and ethnic tensions arise. Amidst the war chaos Zosia tries to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

genocide | year 1943 | world war two | massacre | torture | 

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Taglines:

About love in inhuman times

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The leader of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Stepan Bandera, was posthumously awarded the title of "Here of Ukraine" by Ukrainian presidents Viktor Yushchenko in 2010. President Viktor Yanukovych revoked this title in 2011 which would then again be granted by president Petro Poroshenko in 2015. The movie is banned in Ukraine.

User Reviews

Time and place where genocide was inevitable. Torn communities and families.

Dire, thick atmosphere of waiting for massacre you knew that will happen. Pure terror unleashed at night, when neighbors come to kill you in one hundred different ways preceded by showing how this community was like at time of peace. You would not think that it is really possible. Marriages, working together, social space and to some degree language is common. But there are some differences on both sides...

Dmytro Klyachkivsky citation: "We should make a large action of the liquidation of the Polish element."

To understand this film properly you need some historic and psychological (Lucifer effect) background. I am certain that when reversed things would have gone south anyway.

Wolyn (Volhynia) is historic region where poles and Ruthenians lived peacefully for centuries (by that I mean peasants).

Around XVII century Poland gained more territory in what today is called Ukraine. Polish noble class assimilated Ruthenian (today Ukrainian) noble class. One of Ruthenians even become elected king of the Commonwealth of Polish and Lithuania.

Wolyn alone was in polish rule from XIV century.

This whole territory east of Wolyn and including Wolyn was a place where polish peasant run away from polish noble class (szlachta) rule and mixed with local Ruthenian population.

Commonwealth wanted to suppress those people. Thousands of them remained on king payroll as soldiers - so they knew how to fight. Those people responded accordingly with Chmielnicki uprisings, killing Poles and assimilated Ruthenian nobles. Century of bloodshed ended by Russian subjugating most of these lands. This is why eastern Ukraine (Russian rule) is different from western Ukraine (Polish rule).

Era of nationalism resulted in Ukrainian National Revival when Ukrainian people gained new identity and were distancing from Polish and Russian cultures.

In interbellum period in Poland unfortunately won the idea of unity - Ukrainians and Belorussians was to be assimilated into Polish culture (there was project of creating Polish, Belorussian and Ukrainian separated states in confederation) Ukrainians responded with violence.

And film starts when this period is about to end. Firstly Russians witch to this date see Ukraine as "little Russia" in a derogatory way) and next Germans which promised own state to Ukrainians.

Ukraine had seen Hitler as they savior in a way. Organisation born from this feelings decided that Wolyn must be ethnically cleansed to ensure Ukrainian nature of this region in future.

That's when Lucifer Effect starts to sink in. Same was in Tutsi - Hutu case.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Poland]

Country:

Poland

Language:

Russian Yiddish German Polish Ukrainian

Release Date:

7 October 2016 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Guerra e Ódio

Filming Locations:

Lublin, Lubelskie, Poland

Box Office

Budget:

PLN10,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,960,645

Company Credits

Production Co:

Andrzej Ludzinski Productions, Bemar, Canal+ Polska

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1