The Eve Before Ivan Kupala

Loosely based on a story of the same title by Ukrainian writer Mykola Hohol, Yurii Illienko’s 1968 adaptation is a visually astonishing work on the borderline between cinematic narrative and pure poetry. Humble farmer Petro wishes to marry the beautiful Pidorka, but, of course, her father disapproves. But a mischievous demon who lives somewhere in the countryside might hold the key to Petro being able to obtain the object of his desire, setting the stage for a Faustian bargain with otherworldly consequences. A beguiling and transfixing work in which images overflow with symbols, theological and folkloric motifs, and visual touches ranging from the surreal to the ethnographic, The Eve before Ivan Kupala is one of Illienko’s richest films.