Twenty twenty three has seen the release of the Ukrainian drama “Stepne” written and directed by Maryna Vroda, one of the many Ukrainian filmmakers who are forced to leave Ukraine in the face of war. She fled overseas and returned years later to make her first feature length film. The storytelling encompasses a deep sense of the individual’s inward search and time’s relentless flow, portrayed on the canvas of a dying Ukrainian village.
Synopsis
To take care of his mom, who is losing her battle with cancer, Anatoliy, the main character, returns to Stepne, his boyhood home. The film focuses on the protagonist’s understanding of his life decisions and the course of action he has taken as he is faced with the reality of saying goodbye to his mother, his interactions with his brother, and with a woman he once wooed. Life flashes before one’s eyes ! The film incorporates distinctive themes like, nostalgia, loss or times unyielding tide.
Cast
- Nina Antonova as Anatoliy’s Mother
- Oleksandr Maksiakov as Anatoliy
- Oleg Primogenov as Brother of Anatoliy
- Radmila Shegoleva as Anatoliy’s Ex-Beloved
Themes and Style
When filming “Stepne”, great Ukrainian winter landscapes served as a background for the sadness of disappearing villages and the inability to find a place in the lifeless world of post-Soviet society. The film is filled with in melancholia accompanied by haunting dreams, revealing the ghosts of a time long forgotten but must be revisited for comprehension of the present.
Critical Reception
Since it deals with the problem of searching one’s interior world, always disturbing cinematographic imagery, “Stepne” has managed to earn a lot of praise. It was sent as an entry for the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival and again, several critics praised it claiming that it did justice to its director and her unconventional yet powerful vision.
Availability
“Stepne” has been presented in international film competitions starting from November 2024.
In case someone wishes to watch the movie, one should consider searching through the schedules and locations of other great local or international film festivals or searching through several platforms that showcase foreign films.