Ukrainian Poetic Cinema by Elena Rubashevska

German Expressionism, Italian neorealism, and the French New Wave are well-known milestones of world cinema. However, Ukraine has also left its unique mark on the history of cinematography. In her book, Ukrainian film critic Elena Rubashevska explores Ukrainian Poetic Cinema, a special phenomenon that came to life in the 1960s and gave rise to a whole galaxy of directors who spoke about the philosophical problems of life and death, loyalty and betrayal, society and individuals, in a complex, allegorical, and absolutely unique figurative language that was full of metaphors. The book examines the main works and personalities of Ukrainian Poetic Cinema, finds out what place they occupy on the map of world cinema, and tracks down why and how this unique era became overlooked in history, giving way to the gray routine of Urban Prose. It also analyzes why poetics became a defining feature of Ukrainian cinema and why it remains the main trait of the national self-consciousness of Ukrainians. Publication in Polish, English and Ukrainian (titled Українське поетичне кіно). ISBN 978-83-61580-36-2; volume: 352 pages; format: 149×210 mm; softcover with flaps. Publisher: Tumult Foundation, Toruń 2022