Ukraine, the Birth of a Nation

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Product Feature

• Language options are selectable: English, Ukrainian, Polish, Russian.

Product Description

A brilliant historical documentary film in 4 parts about the history of Ukraine, made by film producer Jerzy Hoffman, covers 4 chronological divisions from early times to the present. Highly informative, fast-paced and colorful, the film is a first of its' kind! "A professionally-made, interesting, generally balanced and informative documentary film that covers all of Ukrainian history; It contains rare film footage, good cinematography and Hoffman's perceptive summaries of distinct historical periods. Well-worth having!" Orest Subtelny.

Ukraine, the Birth of a Nation Review

This outstanding historical feature documentary DVD (two discs; four parts, 50-minutes each) is a Jerzy Hoffman film--his films have received numerous awards, including: Oberhausen, Venice, and Moscow IFF. In 2006, he was honored with "Eagle," the Polish Film Academy Award for Life Achievement. In 2008, he directed and produced "Ukraine. The Birth of a Nation." Hoffman is a recipient of the highest state honors both in Poland and in Ukraine.

Director/Producer/co-Scriptwriter Hoffman is a Pole born in Cracow, Poland in 1932; in 1940, he was deported together with his parents to Siberia; in 1955, he graduated from the National Film Institute in Moscow, USSR (WGiK). Today, he is one of the most revered Polish filmmakers. His works include over thirty documentaries and thirteen feature films, including the Academy-nominated Deluge and With Fire and Sword, the largest film production in Polish film industry.

Critically-acclaimed author of "Ukraine: A History," Professor Orest Subtelny critiques this DVD as: "A professionally-made, interesting, generally balanced and informative documentary film that covers all of Ukrainian history; it contains rare film footage, good cinematography and Hoffman's perceptive summaries of distinct historical periods. Well-worth having!"

The Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University states, in part: "Mr. Hoffman's love for Ukraine, obvious to anyone who can see and hear, does not compromise his level-headed depiction of even the most controversial aspects of Ukraine's history. This film is both a great introduction for novices and a summary for those who already know a lot. It's a must have for everybody who takes interest in Ukraine."

Made and printed in Poland, "Ukraine. The Birth of a Nation," is distributed in Canada and the U.S. through Yevshan. Lacking subtitles, the original language is in Polish (Jerzy Hoffman narrates intermittently throughout); voiceovers are available in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

If future editions are released (and, I hope that they are), I'd definitely like to see subtitles (not only are they an aid for the hearing-impaired, but also they provide a visual aid for anyone wishing to explore in greater detail some facet of history which is referenced). The subtitles should have spellings of Ukrainian cities (Kyiv, Lviv, etc.), rivers (Dnipro, Dnister), and other terminology written in Ukrainian; and, the voiceovers should have pronunciations in Ukrainian, not in Russian (Kiev and Dnieper are Russian spellings and pronunciations). Perhaps, English-speaking Ukrainians should read the English narratives, since other nationals usually have an accent, and, in the process, confusion may ensue.

A glaring error is the usage of the phrase "the Ukraine," and needs to be corrected to read "Ukraine" (both in the written words and in the pronunciation throughout)--the country name is one word, "Ukraine." Throughout the film, the narrator erroneously states "the Ukraine" rather than one word "Ukraine." The DVD jacket shows "Ukraine"; however, the opening title shows "The Ukraine. The Birth of a Nation," and, the caption shows "Film 1, From Rus to the Ukraine." Perhaps, the error was caught after the DVDs were burned, and that's the reason why only the DVD jacket reflects the correction.

This professional production is enhanced with maps, Ukrainian music, photos, film footage, crisp colors, fast-paced presentations, transitions, and, most importantly, balanced and informative narrative (caveat: country name is one word "Ukraine").

Scientific consultants for this film include: Professor Roman Szporluk, Professor George Grabowycz, Professor Serhij Plochij, Professor Oleksij Toloczko, Dr. Hab Ola Hnatiuk, Professor Borys Woznickij, Professor Jurij Czarnobaj, and Janusz Pulnar.

In 2004, Jerzy Hoffman read a book by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma entitled, "Ukraine is not Russia." The title surprised him, since, as he said, "Poles know that Ukraine is Ukraine and Russia is Russia." It was while reading that book that an idea occurred to him--why not investigate the Ukrainian nation? And, thus, Kuchma's book became the inspiration for making this feature film historical documentary. Watching this film, it's evident that it was a labor of love.

Enjoy exploring Ukraine's unique history � la cinema, however, mind the caveat throughout--it's one word--"Ukraine." If it's not available for purchase, get a copy from your library or through interlibrary loan. Then, keep checking Amazon; for once you watch this documentary, without a doubt, you'll want your very own copy. This highly-recommended feature documentary DVD should be in libraries worldwide--both personal and public.

Addendum: Readers, you're invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted.

Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject matter.

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