Homeward (Crimean Tatar: Evge, Ukrainian: Додому, Dodomu) is a 2019 Ukrainian drama film directed by Nariman Aliev.[1] It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[2] It was selected as the Ukrainian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[3][4]
| Homeward | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Nariman Aliev |
| Written by | Nariman Aliev, Marysia Nikitiuk |
| Starring | Akhtem Seitablaev |
| Edited by | Oleksandr Chornyi |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Languages | Crimean Tatar Ukrainian |
Plot
editCrimean Tatars Mustafa and his son Alim clash after collecting the body of elder son Nazim, a casualty of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[5] The family's history with government displacement compel Mustafa on a pilgrimage to mourn and bury in Crimean Islamic tradition. The story starts from the morgue, then on a road trip in a Jeep Cherokee from Kyiv to the volatile Crimean Peninsula. After the pair suffer sleep deprivation and irritability, the Jeep lands damaged in a ditch. Taking the vehicle to the closest auto shop, Alim meets the mechanic's grand daughter, a young Ukrainian girl who convinces him to go to the river. It is during this time the travelling party loses their wallet to a group of local boys. Alim and Mustafa become closer as they learn how to defend their passage and regain their lost possessions. Mustafa's illness is also revealed and worsens when the father and son arrive at Uncle Vasya's home. The home is not far from the family's original Crimean homeland, and Mustafa convinces Uncle Vasya to let him borrow a rowboat to complete the remaining segment of their passage.
Cast
edit- Akhtem Seitablaev as Mustafa
- Remzi Bilyalov as Alim
- Larysa Yatzenko as Galina
- Veronika Lukyanenko as Masha
- Akmal Gurezov as Refat
- Viktor Zhdanov as Uncle Vasya
- Dariya Barikhashvili as Olesya
- Anatoliy Marempolskiy as Nazim
Reception
editHomeward has an approval rating of 77% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews, and an average rating of 6.2/10.[7] Collider and The Guardian have named the film on lists of the best works of Ukrainian cinema.[8][9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Screenings Guide 2019". 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ "Фільм "Додому" офіційно став претендентом на "Оскар" від України". Ukrainian State Film Agency. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Ukrainian film Homeward about annexed Crimea goes for Oscar". Opinion UA. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ Dalton, Stephen (29 May 2019). "'Homeward' ('Evge'): Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
- ^ "Homeward". BBC IPlayer. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- ^ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/homeward
- ^ Shomer, Jason (12 March 2022). "Best of Ukrainian Cinema, Like 'Homeward' and 'Bitter Harvest'". Collider. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (5 March 2022). "Streaming: the best Ukrainian films past and present". the Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2022.