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This book explores the life and work of Oleksandr Dovzhenko—a genius of both Ukrainian and world cinema, and a multifaceted artist who was a director, screenwriter, writer, and painter. Many chapters of his life resemble Dante’s visions of Hell. Yet, he managed to traverse not only the trials of the inferno but also the realms of purification (Purgatory), eventually reaching the threshold of a long-desired Paradise—a vision of harmony that, much like for many of his contemporaries, took the form of a communist utopia. A utopia that was, in reality, a drowning abyss… The artist experienced the tragedy of his own people as his personal tragedy. Possessing the intense energy of a national prophet, he might have struck a deal with the Devil himself—the leader of the infernal Bolshevik pack—in a desperate bid to stand on equal footing and save himself, his kin, and his nation. And, having finally shattered the illusion that one could effectively compromise with Evil, he was capable of rising up to challenge those satanic forces.
For a general readership.
On the cover: Oleksandr Dovzhenko. Unfinished self-portrait. 1925.
The publication of this book was made possible with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation
and the family of Olga and Andriy Anisimov.