Diagonaldi
Very well executed
Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Mathilde the Guild
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
merilius
Three nations with three religions living in the same deeply rural area on European outskirts in the 1930's.
World War Two erupts over their heads and the old power over the region is gone. Other states and local powers now struggle to control this area.
Watch this movie to see what actually followed from a perspective of a young adult woman.This film is based on facts and experiences of many witnesses.
denis888
Well, where to begin. Films about genocide, especially such touchy subject as Polish-Ukranian relations in 1939-1943 in the region of Wolyn, are not an easy treat. The very theme of mass murder and brotherly hate is never easy, so this epic film about mass atrocities of Poles in Wolyn leaves a very heavy heart. If you are afraid of ferocious scenes, blood, dismembered bodies, mutilated kids or burned villages, then don't. Don't try to watch this film. It is awesome, it is executed with a n utmost precision and the tempo is impeccable, but it is way too difficult to see all those horrible scenes and what is even more horrid is the fact that it's never going to be easier, but only heavier and gloomier and worse for main hero and her suffering family. I will not retell the events of this film, just want to say - be warned and watch this at your discretion, as this is a very very severe and naked fear film. It demands all your patience and certain amount of guts, yes, guts, since the bloody scenes are really frightening. Need I say more? This is a masterpiece, truly so.
bones-203-923245
A story from views usually unknown and too easy forgotten. Portrait with a real story and how easy "dog eats dog". The factions how shallow they are is depicted properly. As it was everywhere during the WW2. The eels survived.. The grit and do and helplessness is also well described. Well worth the view.
Tomasz
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.