The Guide
Film poster
Directed byOles Sanin
Written byOles Sanin
Alexander Irvanets
Irene Rozdobudko
Paul Wolansky
Produced byMaxim Asadchiy
Igor Savychenko
Oles Sanin
StarringStanislav Boklan
Jeff Burrell
Anton Sviatoslav Greene
Oleksandr Kobzar
Jamala
Iryna Sanina
CinematographySerhiy Mykhalchuk
Edited byDenys Zakharov
Music byAlla Zahaikevych
Production
company
Pronto Film
Distributed byB&H Film Distribution
Release dates
  • 16 July 2014 (2014-07-16) (Odesa)
  • 12 November 2014 (2014-11-12) (Ukraine)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUkraine
LanguagesUkrainian
Russian
English
Box office₴2.5 million

The Guide (Ukrainian: Поводир, Povodyr) is a 2014 Ukrainian drama film directed by Oles Sanin.[1] The film stares Stanislav Boklan, Anton Greene, Jeff Burrel, Iryna Sanina and Jamala. It focuses around a young Peter Shamrock who serves as the guide of a blind bard in Soviet Ukraine. There is a special audiodescripted version for blind people.[2]

The film was produced by Pronto Film with a budget of about ₴16,762,000, with the Ukrainian State Film Agency financing parts. The film would then go on to make ₴16.6 million, although ₴14.1 million was given back to the Ukrainian State Film Agency, making the true amount at around ₴2.5 million.[3] It was selected as the Ukrainian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards,[4] but was not nominated.[5] There was some controversy over the selection of the film in Ukraine regarding the voting process.[6]

Following the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, several cinemas including Regal Cinemas began screenings of The Guide to raise money for relief efforts in Ukraine through the Ukraine Relief Fund.[7][8] On 13 March 2022, a screening of The Guide in Salem, Massachusetts, was attended by the Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, and Congressman Seth Moulton. By 17 March 2022, it was screened across 600 cinemas in the United States.[9]

Plot

Set during the early 1930s in Soviet Ukraine, American engineer Michael Shamrock arrives in Kharkiv with his ten-year-old son, Peter to help "build socialism". He falls in love with an actress Olga, of whom she has another admirer, Commissar Vladimir. However, Michael gets his hands onto secret documents about a planned mass seizure of food by the Soviets. As a result, he is killed whilst boarding a train. Peter then escapes his father's killers by hiding into the car of another train.

Peter is then saved by a blind bard (kobzar) named Ivan Kocherga. With no other chance to survive in a foreign land, Peter becomes Ivan's guide. Meanwhile, Vladimir dedicates himself to find Peter.

Cast

Reception

Since its release, The Guide has generated generally favourable reviews.

On IMDb, The Guide has an average rating of 7.7/10.[10]

Awards and nominations

Following the announcement of The Guide being nominated by the Ukrainian Oscar committee, several individuals left the committee in protest including the head of the Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers, Serhiy Trymbach.[11]

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2014 Odesa International Film Festival[12] Best Actor Stanislav Boklan Won
Jury Prize for Cinematography Sergiy Mykhalchuk Won
Grand Prix Oles Sanin Nominated
2014 Warsaw International Film Festival[13] Grand Prix Oles Sanin Nominated
2015 Universe Multicultural Film Festival[14] Grand Prix for the best movie Oles Sanin Won

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Guide (2014) – watch online in high quality on Sweet TV, retrieved 14 August 2023
  2. ↑ "The Film The Guide has been adapted for Blind People" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Скільки коштують, скільки збирають у прокаті та скільки повертають фільми Держкіно - Детектор медіа". 14 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Oscars: Ukraine Nominates Oles Sanin's 'The Guide' for Foreign Language Category". Hollywood Reporter. 9 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Nominees (see subsection: Foreign Language Film)". Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Oscars: Backlash Over Ukraine's Nomination for Best Foreign Language Category". Hollywood Reporter. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (14 March 2022). "U.S. Theaters From Regal To Indies Will Play 2014 Ukrainian Film 'The Guide' Starting Friday With Proceeds Going To Relief Effort". Deadline. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "'The Guide': Local film showings to raise funds for Ukrainian relief efforts". shepherdstownchronicle.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  9. ↑ detector.media (17 March 2022). "Фільм українського режисера Олеся Саніна «Поводир» покажуть у 600 кінотеатрах США". detector.media (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Sanin, Oles (12 November 2014), Povodyr (Drama, History), Stanislav Boklan, Jeff Burrell, Boris Georgievskiy, Pronto Film, Ukrainian State Film Agency, retrieved 14 August 2023
  11. ↑ "Українськість "Поводиря" дратує багатьох кінокритиків. Глядачам фільм подобається | Тексти для думаючих людей". 9 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "OIFF 2014 award winners". oiff.com.ua. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "International Competition at 30th WFF". wff.pl. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "About 2015 Universe Multicultural Film Festival". umfilms.org. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
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