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3 stars out of 5. He wrote, "Unfortunately, "Bitter
Harvest" can't even claim the virtues of a superior dramatic feature. Born in Germany of Ukrainian descent, Mendeluk has spent most his career as a director of Canadian TV movies, which this film unsurprisingly resembles. Its narrative and visual
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Filming began in
Ukraine on November 15, 2013, under the working title "The Devil's Harvest". Ihnatowycz said, "Given the importance of the Holodomor, and that few outside Ukraine knew about this man-made famine because it had been covered up by the Kremlin regime, this chapter of history needed to
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Yuri meets Lubko, a desperately hungry boy. They help each other through the forest to a cattle train stop towards Smila. That evening they are joined at their camp by the
Kholodnyi Yar (Cold Ravine) Ukrainian Cossack detachment. The next morning they engage in a bloody battle, with the Bolsheviks
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bringing grain to the villagers. Yuriy, Natalka, and Lubko escape, others of the family starve or are murdered by
Koltsov's forces. They are pursued onto another cattle train of Ukrainian corpses on their way to be dumped into fire pits, and are chased to the Soviet border, the cold and turbulent
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Yuriy and Lubko sneak aboard a cattle train full of starved
Ukrainian corpses. They witness massive starvation and death of their fellow Ukrainians on the roadsides and in pits. Nearing Smila they hijack a Soviet grain truck whose sympathetic Bolshevik soldier driver joins Yuriy's rescue mission,
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and any others whom Stalin deems
Enemies of the Soviet state. From his cell Yuriy witnesses daily mass executions. Sadistic prison commissar director Medvedev demands Yuriy paint his portrait in return for more food and for his life, but Yuriy senses he will be executed as soon as the portrait is
361:
completed. During their second sitting, Yuriy stabs the director in the throat with his paintbrush, killing him. He changes his clothes for the commissar's
Russian uniform, takes his pistol, and escapes during a blizzard while being hunted by the Bolshevik soldier guards.
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with wild mushrooms and joins other peasant women in a Babsi ladies revolt. Sergei has survived, and orders his
Bolshevik troops to put down the revolt. Yuriy's family and the villagers are imprisoned in the church, now their torture chamber and prison cell.
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Offers a positive lesson about
Ukraines 1917 Lenin communist revolution invasion of Ukraine and death of the tragedy of Russias Romanovich Czar and family up to 1932 /33 Holodomor genocide History that is the main backdrop through the films
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The State Art
Institute is forced to replace the art instructors with communist instructors who censor art such as Yuriy's, condemning its expression of Ukrainian cultural identity as anti-Soviet. Yuriy storms out in disgust.
356:, music, songs, and dance, starting a fight during which Yuriy stabs the captain in self defense. He is locked up in a brutal Soviet prison with scores of Ukrainian Kurkili - simple farmers, as well as
586:, Ukraine, which doubles for the village outside Smila of a century ago. The concept and screenplay were created by Richard Bachynsky Hoover, who was inspired to make the film after visiting the
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In Smila, Yuriy's wife Natalka and family are enduring the terror of farm director Commissar Sergei Koltsov who attempts to rape her and uses food as a weapon, but Natalka poisons his
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609:. He drafted the screenplay and approached Ian Ihnatowycz, who agreed to fund research and development before committing in 2013 to finance the US$ 21 million film in its entirety.
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lives down to its title with a clichéd wartime romance, whose melodrama although honors the victims of the real-life horrors it uses as a backdrop." Sheri Linden of the
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called the film "a rousing tale with political pertinence". Several reviews agreed that the film would raise awareness, and did accurately depict the subject matter.
329:'s wheat and sunflower farming outskirts of Smila. Years later, in 1932, Ivan's artist grandson Yuriy marries his childhood sweetheart, Natalka, and studies at the
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Global box office sales were approximately US$ 1 million. It was screened in various venues in more than 100 countries in 2017/18.
309:. The story and screenplay were written by Canadian screenwriter-actor Richard Bachynsky Hoover. Filming took place in and around
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demonstrations, in which Bachynsky Hoover and local crew members took part. Bachynsky Hoover was injured by a chemical grenade.
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in the early 1930s. The film is the first English language feature film depicting Ukraine's man-made famine, the 1932–33
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During a memorial in a pub for a friend who committed suicide, a half drunk aggressive Soviet captain insults the
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wrote "there can be no doubt that the events deserve a more compelling and responsible treatment than this."
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praised the film's direction and storytelling, calling it the "world-class Ukrainian art film of our time."
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on March 3 in Canada. The film was launched in other countries during the first quarter of 2017.
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858:"First-Look Images from THE DEVIL'S HARVEST Starring Terence Stamp, Max Irons, and Barry Pepper"
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1095:"Bitter Harvest movie review & film summary (2017) | Roger Ebert with some positive words"
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approach almost suggests a compendium of the clichés one should avoid in a film like this."
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be told in English on the silver screen for the first time in feature film history."
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The film depicts Kyiv and its Ukrainian hamlets and farm land, and was filmed in
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sends his massive Bolshevik red army to requisition 90% of Ukraine's harvest.
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950:"Max Irons-Samantha Barks' Ukraine Drama 'Bitter Harvest' Bought by Roadside"
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called the film "utterly devoid of emotional impact." Peter Debruge of
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The shoot ended in Kyiv on February 5, 2014, concurrent with the 2013
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to exchange the vast rich pastures of Ukraine for the prairies of
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923:"New Movie Reveals Russia's Attempts to Destroy Ukraine"
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down the uprising. Both sides suffer heavy casualties.
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Post-production continued in early 2014 at London's
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674:based on 61 reviews, where the consensus states, "
333:. His family are independent Cossack farmers, "
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590:museum in 1999. He wrote the script in 2013.
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550:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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1176:Catsoulis, Jeannette (February 23, 2017).
1065:Catsoulis, Jeannette (February 23, 2017).
891:Star Max Irons Finishes Ukraine Shoot for
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827:"Max Irons, Samantha Barks go for Harvest"
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570:Learn how and when to remove this message
1255:does justice to its historical subject"
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714:In positive reviews, Adrian Bryttan of
1280:is a decent, well-intentioned romance"
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885:Barraclough, Leo (February 5, 2014).
825:Mitchell, Wendy (November 15, 2013).
325:Ivan Kachaniuk defends his family in
252:$ 5 million approx. (worldwide sales)
16:2017 film directed by George Mendeluk
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1207:a incredible film on a worthy topic"
1040:Debruge, Peter (February 23, 2017).
584:Pyrohiv Kyiv district outdoor museum
548:adding citations to reliable sources
1008:Linden, Sheri (February 23, 2017).
921:Francis, Diane (October 14, 2015).
856:Trumbore, Dave (February 4, 2014).
485:Richard Ashton as Father Ostapovich
1502:Films scored by Benjamin Wallfisch
977:. Box Office Mojo. April 22, 2017.
925:. Atlantic Council. Archived from
670:has a negative approval rating on
397:, hoping for help from the priest
14:
1527:Films directed by George Mendeluk
1119:Bryttan, Adrian (March 7, 2017).
520:
1477:English-language Canadian films
1404:The Kidnapping of the President
1274:Wheeler, Brad (March 3, 2017).
948:McNary, Dave (August 9, 2016).
1151:Hall, Sandra (March 2, 2017).
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1467:Canadian romantic drama films
1522:2010s English-language films
1231:grim history gets undercut"
197:February 24, 2017
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488:Malcolm Freeman as Molotov
1507:Films about the Holodomor
1462:2017 romantic drama films
1420:Meatballs III: Summer Job
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1162:The Sydney Morning Herald
723:The Sydney Morning Herald
343:collectivization campaign
305:The film was directed by
35:Theatrical release poster
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750:Russia-Ukraine relations
76:Richard Bachynsky Hoover
62:Richard Bachynsky Hoover
54:Richard Bachynsky Hoover
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393:to get to the city of
358:Ukrainian nationalists
1497:Films shot in Ukraine
1492:Films shot in Romania
622:Revolution of Dignity
506:Ostap Stupka as Boiko
476:as Professor Temchuck
1532:2010s Canadian films
1487:Films set in Ukraine
1215:. February 22, 2017.
1130:The Ukrainian Weekly
837:on November 19, 2013
717:The Ukrainian Weekly
640:Roadside Attractions
544:improve this section
205: (United States)
180:Roadside Attractions
1512:Romantic epic films
1472:Canadian epic films
1093:Cheshire, Godfrey.
929:on December 8, 2015
1517:Films about famine
1382:Films directed by
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1188:The New York Times
1072:The New York Times
781:. February 4, 2017
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354:Ukrainian folklore
170:Benjamin Wallfisch
1482:Films set in Kyiv
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560:January 2024
557:
542:Please help
530:
480:William Beck
438:Tamer Hassan
432:Barry Pepper
391:West Ukraine
387:Zbruch River
383:
371:
363:
351:
347:
320:
304:
292:Tamer Hassan
288:Barry Pepper
270:film set in
259:
258:
257:
244:$ 21 million
214:Running time
190:Release date
117:Tamer Hassan
112:Barry Pepper
80:Stuart Baird
18:
933:December 4,
906:February 7,
889:White Queen
841:February 8,
810:January 13,
605:during the
498:Gary Oliver
434:as Yaroslav
313:, Ukraine.
218:103 minutes
67:Produced by
41:Directed by
1457:2017 films
1451:Categories
1412:Doin' Time
1331:Metacritic
1183:storyline"
1099:RogerEbert
867:January 5,
756:References
655:Box office
618:Euromaidan
600:Yanukovych
594:Production
462:Lucy Brown
456:Tom Austen
428:as Natalka
321:Ukrainian
296:Lucy Brown
263:is a 2017
249:Box office
201:2017-02-24
161:Lenka Svab
122:Lucy Brown
1178:"Review:
744:The Guide
737:Famine-33
650:Reception
620:and 2014
531:does not
482:as Stefan
470:as Medved
452:as Mykola
440:as Sergei
420:Max Irons
280:Max Irons
276:Holodomor
223:Countries
156:Edited by
102:Max Irons
1136:March 7,
1104:April 9,
1078:April 9,
1025:March 7,
862:Collider
785:March 8,
730:See also
512:Location
494:as Lubko
464:as Olena
458:as Taras
422:as Yuriy
403:Manitoba
233:Language
166:Music by
95:Starring
59:Story by
1051:Variety
954:Variety
900:Variety
687:Variety
635:Release
588:Pyrohiv
552:removed
537:sources
446:as Ivan
366:borscht
335:kurkuli
323:Cossack
236:English
226:Canada
199: (
1437:(2017)
1429:(2005)
1423:(1986)
1415:(1985)
1407:(1980)
1399:(1979)
407:Canada
265:period
241:Budget
706:gave
603:party
182:(US)
1309:IMDb
1138:2017
1106:2022
1080:2022
1027:2017
961:2016
935:2015
908:2014
869:2016
843:2014
812:2022
787:2017
702:for
535:any
533:cite
413:Cast
395:Lviv
317:Plot
311:Kyiv
298:and
1345:at
1329:at
1318:at
1307:at
992:at
546:by
500:as
341:'s
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