Ukraine lost a genius of Ukrainian, Soviet and world film last week. Prominent film director and People´s Artist of Ukraine Yuriy Illienko died at the age of 74. He was most famous for his work on the epic films “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors” and “White Bird with a Black Mark”.  Working as a cameraman on the former, Yuriy Illienko began the film as he intended to go on. In the first scene the brother of the film’s main star, Ivan, is killed by a falling tall fir-tree, with the camera moving down and panning from a great height with the assistance of cables. The film is regarded as a classic of world cinema and his name is synonymous with the rebirth and flourishing of Ukrainian poetic cinema. A funeral service was held for Illienko at the Volodymyr Sobor in Kyiv on 18 June, after which he was laid to rest in his native Cherkasy. Outside the Sobor, Trembita, the ancient trumpets of the Hutsul mountain people, greeted his coffin in homage to his work in “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors”.   One of his best films, “White Bird with a Black Mark” won the main prize at the Moscow Film Festival in 1971. The film’s distinguishing features are the Ukrainian national tonality, picturesque settings and poetic vitality. No wonder Illienko is regarded as the leader of Ukrainian poetic cinema. “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors” earned Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov international acclaim for its rich use of costume and color. The film also features a detailed portrayal of Ukrainian Hutsul culture, showing not only the harsh Carpathian environment and brutal family rivalries, but also the beauty of Hutsul traditions, music, costumes and dialect. The film is highly symbolic, making frequent use of religious and folkloric images that include crosses, lambs, graves, and spirits. Visually brilliant and authentic in terms of periodic detail, it is one of the most beautiful looking films ever made. Through the eyes of the film the viewer is introduced to the world of the scenic Carpathian Mountains. The elaborate costumes, the folk songs and simple village life all create a world that you know just had to have existed. “Shadows” is a stunningly beautiful looking film and, in fact, a lesson in old Ukrainian culture.
The film also uses color to represent mood. For example, during Ivan´s period of mourning, black and white film is used. In other scenes, colors are often muted, but provide a contrast to vivid use of red and yellow. On its release, the film´s presentation contrasted with the common social realism style that had government approval. After refusing to change the film, Parajanov was soon blacklisted from Soviet cinema. The film should be seen in the context of the 1960s. “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors” was set in the Carpathians of Western Ukraine around the 1860s. It was banned for a time in the USSR because it emphasized the uniqueness of Ukrainian culture. In fact, the language throughout the film was Ukrainian, not Russian. The references to the Church and religion could not have helped either.
Illienko made his debut as a cameraman in Jakov Segel’s “Farewell, Pigeons” in 1960. Other outstanding works as a film director were “The Holiday of Baked Potatoes”, “A Forest Song”, “Mavka” and “The Legend of Princess Olga”. One of his last works, “A Prayer for Hetman Mazepa” (2001), staged at the Berlin International Film Festival, caused indignant reviews from Russian critics. In recent years he expressed regret that of the 40 or so film scripts written with his participation only 7 had actually come to fruition as films. Illienko, just like all those involved in poetic cinema, was pressurized and their work was heavily censored.
Even at the end of his life, Illienko seems inextricably linked with actor and director Ivan Mykolaychuk, the star of “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors”. Ivan was born on 15 June, while Yuriy passed away on 15 June. Illienko’s work was recognized on the international stage. He collected an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1990 and won over 100 international awards and prizes in his long and illustrious career. He was also a fine actor, though mainly in the early part of his career. 
The success of “Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors” showed that Ukrainian art is part of world culture. For some the story of Ivan and Marichka is no less tragic than Shakespeare´s Romeo and Juliet. Regarded as a genius, Yuriy Illienko made, in unison with all the other actors, screenwriters and directors involved in Ukrainian poetic cinema, a rich and everlasting contribution to world cinema. Let’s hope that their legacy can encourage a new generation of talented artists to spark a rebirth and elevate Ukrainian film to greater heights. The late, great Yuriy Illienko certainly deserves as much.