Reflections
on Documentary Genocide Revealed
By
Tetiana Branitska
-----------------------
Toronto
- Prior to Ukraine’s independence, the subject of the Great
Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, now known as the Holodomor, was not a
part of public discourse. In 1983, Yurij Luhovy co-produced and
edited a documentary entitled “Harvest of Despair” which became
one of the earliest investigations of the reasons behind the famine.
This opened a Pandora’s Box of reasons for the famine to the
public. “Genocide Revealed”, produced, directed and edited by
Yurij Luhovy, is an investigation of exceptional value that
incorporates in-depth research and artistic design to deliver the
author’s argument. This argument is that the Holodomor was not an
accidental occurrence, but a planned operation that served
geopolitical ambitions of the Soviet state leaders.
I
believe that “Genocide Revealed” is an outstanding documentary
and all the international awards it has won are well-deserved. Unlike
other pieces on the Holodomor, “Genocide Revealed” provides a
complex approach and includes document analysis, expert opinions,
and, most importantly, interviews with survivors to present solid
grounds for the author’s thesis. A vast selection of archival
material intertwines with the voices of those who have either lived
through or studied the Holodomor to present one firm message that the
famine was not “God’s doing”. This multifactor approach is what
makes this documentary film one of exceptional value.
It
is important not only to know about the terrors of the Holodomor and
the grand project that it was a part of, but the means through which
it was carried out. As stated in “Genocide Revealed”, the famine
“project managers” relied heavily on separate individuals who
would carry out the task on the spot. So, I believe that there is
more to the discussion and conclusions regarding the Holodomor. On
the one hand, it was a huge human tragedy. It came as a war,
unannounced, and took millions of lives. On the other hand, it shows
the nature of the Soviet State and the means its leadership used to
reach its goals. One of the main goals and consequence of the famine
was the disintegration of the community. Ukrainian villages have
always had strong communities and only through distrust and marginal
life conditions could that system be ruined. The loss of trust
towards one’s community made the people rely on and give their
loyalty to the State. This way, good neighbours and relatives turned
into “comrades”, a faceless mass of plankton that glorified its
prosecutors. Hence, the major consequence being that the people lost
the sense that together they can fight for and achieve their common
goals.
However,
this consequence of the famine does not limit itself only to Soviet
times. Even today, distrust and different loyalties cause
difficulties in Ukraine’s development. One more lesson Ukrainians
can learn from the Holodomor is that “united we stand”.
I
would like to express my most sincere gratitude to filmmaker Yurij
Luhovy and his team for making this amazing, artful, and very
insightful documentary.
For
further information about the feature documentary “Genocide
Revealed” and its Educational Release version, contact
www.yluhovy.com
Tetiana
Branitska’s family suffered through the Holodomor. This year marks
the 80th anniversary of the Holodomor
Famine-Genocide in Ukraine 1932-1933.
PHOTO
Yurij
Luhovy filming Genocide Revealed in Kyiv.