Opening Film
IVAN’S LAND
dir. ANDRII LYSETSKYI
DUTCH PREMIERE
Ukraine has many stories, not only about the current war. This one brings a stunning portrait of a Ukrainian folk artist, questioning whether artists need acknowledgement from art critics to be recognized as masters of their craft. The winner of the Grand Jury Award at Pordenone Docs Fest and Docudays UA.
Ivan Prykhodko is one of the last folk artists in Ukraine. He lives in a 100-years old house on the outskirts of Kyiv. He is self-taught, but everything he creates in his village turns into art. His positive attitude in life, his charm and playfulness give a unique spirit to his art as well as to this film that revolves around his work. One day, Ivan is invited to the heart of his country’s capital to exhibit his work at the Mystetskyi Arsenal – Kyiv’s prestigious art exhibition centre. The film follows Ivan as he enters into a new world of art critics, prestigious galleries, and urban chaos.
SHOWTIMES
Wednesday, 22 November – 19:15 hours
ZEMLYA IVANA | 2021 | 85 min | Ukraine
| PRODUCTION | Olga Beskhmelnitsyna, Gennady Kofman – MaGiKa Film |
| CINEMATOGRAPHY | Andrii Lysetskyi |
| EDITING | Serhiy Lysenko |
| SOUND | Boris Peter |
| MUSIC | Nikita Moiseev |
| LANGUAGE | Ukrainian |
| SUBTITLES | English |
FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION)
Docudays UA, International Documentary Human Rights Film Festival, 2021 – Best Film | Kharkiv MeetDocs Eastern Ukrainian Film Festival, 2021 – Jury Prize | Pordenone Docs Fest, 2022 – Grand Jury Award
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Being truly happy – what does that mean? Affluence? Power? Acknowledgment? Ivan, the protagonist of our documentary, lives at the edge of a small village in a house built over 100 years ago and standing on bare ground covered with straw. Surrounded by nature, his closest friends are his dogs, cats, and goats, but one can’t find a happier man. I first met Ivan about two years ago as I heard of him being the last master of the once well-known tradition of Polissya Folk Painting.
DIRECTOR’S BIO
Born in Kiev in 1982, Andrij Lysetskyi represents the third generation of the most talented DOPs of Ukraine. He graduated from Kiev National Karpenko-Kary University majoring in Cinema and Television, now with his filmography counting over 30 films and numerous awards. Ivan’s Land will be his first work as a director of a documentary.