Abstract Homecoming: a Movie Script About the Ukrainian

ABSTRACT

HOMECOMING: A MOVIE SCRIPT ABOUT THE UKRAINIAN WORLD WAR II EXPERIENCE

by Petr Podkopaev

This thesis project—comprising of a movie script, an annotated bibliography and description of how a particular text was used in the creation of the script, and a filmography—examines the cause for the national divisions present in Ukraine. I largely focus on the Nazi occupation of Ukraine and come to the conclusion that the World War II experience and the Nazi occupation of Ukraine were largely responsible for the two clashing national visions present in Ukraine. The first is based on Nazi collaboration as a form of national liberation from Soviet oppression. And the other national vision detests collaboration and connects more closely with the Soviet liberation of occupied Ukraine. These two views are at odds with each other and provide much fuel for national bickering.

HOMECOMING: A MOVIE SCRIPT ABOUT THE UKRAINIAN WORLD WAR II EXPERIENCE

A Thesis

Submitted to the

Faculty of Miami University

in partial fulfilment of

the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts

Department of History

Petr A. Podkopaev

Miami University

Oxford, Ohio

2014

Advisor Stephen Norris

Reader Erik Jensen

Reader Robert Thurston

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MOVIE SCRIPT………………………………………………………………………………….1 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………..73 FILMOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………...78

HOMECOMING Written by Petr Podkopaev

FADE IN: DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE SEQUENCE: The movie opens with documentary footage of the Maidan and other protests in Ukraine. We see many flags and not all are Ukrainian, an occasional Celtic cross and a confederate flag intrudes. We watch people in masks and others clashing with each other. People being beaten and shot. Then huge rallies on Maidan and a frenzy of vehement support for the public speaker’s words. The last images we see are the raging fires of the burning tires of the barricades in the night.

END SEQUENCE CUT TO:

MAP OF UKRAINE CIRCA 1941:

V.O. “The following action is divided into two parts and takes place in an unnamed village, not unlike any other village in right-bank Ukraine.”

As this is spoken, a red line is drawn on the map to demarcate the right-bank. “Though nominally a Soviet republic, the people of Ukraine possess divided loyalties and an uncertain direction of their national destiny. And in the following exploration, you will have a better understanding of why that is. In Part I we will meet what’s left of a family who survived a German occupation of their village only some ten years ago. And we will travel back to the hellish nightmare of the Nazi occupation itself in the second and final part of our feature.” After these final words of our narrator are spoken, we ZOOM IN quite hastily right into the dividing red line drawn on the map. All we see is a red screen.

OVER RED FRAME: TITLE CARD:

HOMECOMING

FADE TO BLACK

FADE IN:

EXT. NAMELESS UKRANIAN VIILLAGE – SPRING MORNING

PANNING SHOT from a hill overlooking a small hamlet, somewhere in rural Ukraine. In the shot we see a pastoral landscape with the just risen sun shining over the village and its rays reflecting from the puddles of an early spring shower, a poor but charming Ukrainian village littered with white walled huts. The panning shot stops at the village church.

TITLE CARD OVER IMAGE:

PART I FADE OUT TITLE CARD I: TITLE CARD II OVER IMAGE:

Chapter 1 The Burial of Old Man Taras

DISSOLVE TO: INT. VILLAGE CHURCH - DAY Typical Orthodox Church interior: dark, lots of candles, beautiful iconography. Though the village church is austere and poor, it emanates a sense of religious opulence. CAMERA GLIDES through the space focusing on religious imagery. We hear the priest RECITING VERSES. Our meandering through the church ends

3 at a shot that reveals a medium group of people situated around a cheap, wooden coffin. We are at a funeral service. Next, we see a young village boy, age 10, DMYTRO. He is shy kid who was raised by a grandfather, whose funeral we are witnessing, and an overworked single mother. We will never meet any other members of this family, it is implied that they are all dead, claimed by the war. Dmytro is holding a candle standing next to his mother, LIDA, a beautiful but worn out lady. Like much in the village, her youthful beauty has been claimed by the war. Standing to this symbol of post-war unrecovered damage, Dmytro sadly gazes at the coffin in which his beloved grandfather, TARAS, now lies.

The time comes for everyone to say their goodbyes, which means to kiss the forehead of the corpse. Dmytro’s mother begins to move towards the open coffin to take part in the ritual, but realizing her son is not by her side turns around in search. She sees that her son has not followed her. She motions with her hand for him to come to her side, but he does not move. Looking a little disappointed and annoyed she comes back to her son and grabs his hand. Dmytro does not budge. Bending down to him she says in a low voice for she is in the house of God:

LIDA Come on, let’s go.

Dmytro looks at her, he is frightened, and shakes his head. The annoyance seems to disappear from the mother’s face who places her hand on the side of her son’s shoulder.

LIDA (Smiling and in a tender manner) You have to say goodbye to your grandfather.

Dmytro’s resolve does not change, and his eyes drift away from his mother to the coffin. Still kneeling by her son, the mother notices a hand placed on her shoulder. Cut to C.U. of an elderly hand on mom’s shoulder. ZOOM OUT to reveal an older lady, the placed hand is a commanding gesture: the daughter of Taras must abide by the village rules and kiss the forehead of her father. The older

4 woman is directly looking at Dmytro’s mother and slowly motions with her head toward the coffin. The mother complies and giving a tender gaze to her son removes her hand from her son and moves towards the coffin. The CAMERA CREEPS from Dmytro’s position closer to the coffin, and the church CHOIR BEGINS TO FADE OUT. We now hear a DRONING, uncertain menacing sound, like an AIR RAID SIREN. As the SOUND SWELLS we see a corpse of a robust man, Taras, in his late 50s (old but still demonstrative of a threatening masculine vigor and strength) with typical Ukrainian mustache— Taras Bulba style and this offers a hint about the man’s character for those versed in Rus./Ukr. literature—in the coffin. Subtly severe expression on the pale face of the corpse.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE CHURCH - DAY The funeral procession heads out of the church, Dmytro is clinging to the hand of his mother. They walk through the archway leading out of the church and into the dirt street.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STREET - DAY Men are carrying the coffin behind the priest and slushing through the wet mud of the street. Following the coffin are family and friends dressed in simple peasant smocks, grey and unassuming. Younger women and some girls are quietly sobbing and wiping their faces with handkerchiefs, while the older men and women have expressionless faces. In this destitute crowd, WW II veterans stand out for they are dressed in their former military uniforms and bear visible scars of war: missing limbs, crutches, etc. Their numerous chevrons and military decorations contrast with the simple and modest dress of those in the funeral procession.

CAMERA MOVES down from the bodies of the funeral procession to their feet. Dirty boots of the crowd contrast with the newly smudged and clearly polished boots of the veterans. After the procession shuffles by we are left with an image of disturbed wet mud.

CUT TO: EXT. CEMETERY - DAY We see the funeral procession in the cemetery from some distance. The sun is now brightly shining, not a cloud in the sky. The barely blossoming branches of trees are obstructing a clear view of the burial. ZOOMING IN, we see the priest reciting a funeral service and begin to hear the priest on the soundtrack: VECHNAYA PAMIAT’. The priest’s typical recitation of Orthodox verses begins to fade out as we ZOOM IN CLOSER. We now hear the sounds of spring—BIRDS SINGING and the WIND BLOWING through the branches— and not the priest.

Most of the crowd does not seem to be paying much attention to the priest, they are not looking at him, and are lost in their own thoughts.

CUT TO: EXT. CEMETERY GRAVE - DAY Dmytro is intently gazing at the priest as he watches the lowering of the coffin. Cut to OVERHEAD SHOT of the empty grave and the coffin being lowered in the ground by the veterans. We know it’s the veterans who are lowering the coffin by their green, neat uniform sleeves. CUT TO MID SHOT: some from the crowd come up to throw dirt on top of the lowered coffin before it is completely covered with earth. Dmytro, shuffling behind his mother walks to the grave to throw in dirt. Cut to OVERHEAD C.U. from a tightly clenched fist, drops a load of dirt. Dmytro’s contribution is then covered with earth shoveled by the villagers. Returning to his place among those standing around the grave, an older girl, but not a teenager, looks disapprovingly at Dmytro. The girl likes Dmytro, but being so young and not directly related to Taras and not knowing Dmytro’s deep attachment to the old man, she throws out some inopportune silly lines hoping to catch the attention of her would-be admirer.

12 YEAR OLD GIRL (Mischievously) You are not crying. I cannot believe you have not cried. Dmytro shrugs.

12 YEAR OLD GIRL Do you not have any feelings?

Surprised, Dmytro seems to be shaken up by such a claim. A look of curiosity comes over his face.

DMYTRO (Timidly but not without conviction) I don’t think so. I just don’t feel like crying.

Clearly Dmytro missed a misplaced flirtatious opportunity. He is too emotionally invested in the funeral but is afraid to show it. The funeral and loss of his grandfather occupies his mind; he has no desire to engage in chit chat with some girl. Deep inside he would like to flirt, but out of propriety and an idealistically naive comprehension of masculinity, which no doubt was shaped by the only father figure in his life, Taras, Dmytro wears a stoic expression on his face. He would not begin to dream about crying. Crying would be a sign of weakness. Though he is young, having grown up after the war has made him a little callous. Dmytro has become the man of the house, and he thinks he has as to act tough to fit the void created by his grandfather’s vacancy.

We see the funeral party depart and begin to walk away from the grave.

FADE TO BLACK

OVER BLACK

TITLE CARD:

Chapter 2 The Medal

FADE IN: INT. TARAS’S BEDROOM – DAY Taras, pale and motionless is lying on his deathbed. Two women are at his bedside. Taras’s room is simple and sparsely furnished. It is white walled with a single small window. We know it is his room because there is a large photograph of Taras and his wife. On the wall hang icons, black and white photographs of family members with serious faces. One large photograph of the family has a black band on the side: most of them are dead. Of particular importance is the centerpiece of the room: a print of Repin’s famous painting, Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire. Though Taras was not a learned man of letters, this is evident by the absence of any books in the room, he was a patriot. The painting demonstrates the pride Taras has in being Ukrainian and beating back the German horde. After lying still for some time with an expressionless face, during which the viewer becomes acquainted with the surroundings of Taras’s room, the terminally ill man slowly turns his head toward one of the women at his bedside.

TARAS Where is Dmytro?

WOMAN Who?

TARAS Dmytro.

The woman gets up and quickly walks out of the room. She returns with the mother who quickly comes to the side of her father. The grandfather does not say anything for a little while, then with a great effort he motions with his limp hand for his daughter to come closer.

TARAS (In a hoarse, faint whisper) Dmytro…

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STREET SOCCER MATCH– DAY Village boys have taken over a section off a village street for an impromptu game of football (soccer). They believe they are playing a full field match, but in fact are just kicking the ball around in the street: The village is too poor for a proper pitch or goalposts. Dmytro is among the players and is deeply involved in the match.

A few village girls stand on the sides watching the action, the girl from the funeral is there watching her crush. No doubt, the girls are gossiping and discussing the players on the imagined dirt field. The boys know this and are trying to show off. Spring is in the air. Kicking the ball, running, and shouting for a pass (everyone wants their time with the ball) the boys are raising small clouds of dirt. Being young, dirt is their friend. And like small happy piglets wallowing in mud, the kids are having a blast playing their imaginary game.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STREET/ STREET SOCCER MATCH - DAY Peddling fast on a bicycle, a man in his early twenties sweeps the back wheel of his bicycle in the dirt street raising a cloud of dust as he suddenly brakes in front of the boys.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STREET SOCCER MATCH– DAY The boys stop their game: Interrupted by the arrival of the intruder. Dmytro, who has the ball in his possession, grabs the tattered rubber sphere in his hands and looks at the man.

MAN Dmytro, your mother is looking for you. You have to go home.

DMYTRO Why? What does she want?

MAN I don’t know. She just told me to find you and tell you to come home.

Dmytro is clearly not interested in going home; he wants to play.

DMYTRO Why do I have to go home..?

The man is clearly not happy with the whiny kid. He has more important things to do than ride his bike around the village and its environs in search of a child. His patience is growing thin.

MAN Listen, if you don’t go home right now you are going to get a smack on the head from me and a hiding from your Mom. Got it!? Now run home.

Though not happy with the confrontational tone, Dmytro abides and marches home. He drops the ball. The man gets off his bike, puts it on the ground, then he runs up and intercepts a pass from one of the boys.

CUT TO: EXT. IN FRONT OF TARAS’S HOUSE - DAY Dmytro runs up to the front porch of the house, stops, he is panting. His mother who was sitting on a wooden bench next to the front porch gets up.

LIDA Your grandfather wants to see you. Remember that he is very sick.

Dmytro nods.

LIDA Go in and just listen to what he says

Dmytro nods again, a feeling of anxiety comes over him.

The mother opens the squeaky door to the house and Dmytro walks in. She follows him in. The creaky door closes behind them.

CUT TO: INT. TARAS’S BEDROOM - DAY Dmytro walks into the bedroom in which his grandfather lies, closely followed by his mother. He sits down in the empty wooden chair by Taras’s bedside. Like a guardian angel, the mother stands erect behind her seated son. The single window fills the room with the bright sunlight. After Dmytro has taken a seat, Taras opens his hand without saying a word. It moves only slightly, but enough for the kid to notice. Dmytro sees a medal of a gold star in the open hand of Taras. Cut to C.U. of an impressive gold medal—hero of the Soviet Union (highest honorary title). Dmytro looks back and up at his mother who with a faint nod signals to her son that is ok to take the medal. Taras is silent, too sick and exhausted to speak.

Dmytro reaches for the open palm and with his small hand takes the impressive shiny gold medal. He then lifts it up and gives it a good long look; it glitters in the sunlight. (The viewer will not be explained the significance of the medal, but from the looks of admiration from those in the room it will be understood that this medal is special and significant. Not to mention how brightly it will glitter in the sunlight. The shiny gold medal will stand out in the austere and poor village room as well.)

Dmytro places the precious memento in the front pocket of his shirt. (Close to his heart). Then Dmytro puts his hand in the open palm of his grandfather. Taras’s, with swelled up eyes, shifts his gaze towards Dmytro’s eyes. His mouth quivers but no distinct words come out. Dmytro takes his hand out of his grandfather’s and begins to lean towards Taras in an attempt to hear him better. Taras once more attempts to speak but this time nothing comes out, not even indistinct sounds.

The mother also leans in closer to her father in an attempt to hear him. Taras’s stern countenance fades, and he begins to quietly weep. His mouth faintly quivers again but now no syllables are heard. Then, the mother places her hand on Dmytro in an overt gesture to prevent the kid from disturbing the old man. In a tender gesture the mother strokes her boy’s hair. On the very verge of passing away, Taras is in the company of Dmytro, who is softly restrained from physical and verbal contact with his grandfather by his mother who is standing behind him and stroking his hair. (An unnamed woman, late 30s, in a peasant dress is sitting nearly out of frame and directly gazing at Taras not with a look of disapproval. Taras’s swelled up eyes are directed at her.

FADE TO BLACK

BLACK FRAME TITLE CARD:

Chapter 3 Memory

FADE IN: INT. LIVING ROOM OF TARAS’S HOUSE BURIAL FEAST – DAY The attendees of the funeral—mostly peasants in their best but still remarkably unimpressive smocks and a few veterans in uniform—have returned from burying Taras and are eating at large dinner table, which is covered with a white tablecloth, in Taras’s house. The table is filled with simple and hearty food that the peasant household has prepared. A big clay pot with potatoes is the centerpiece of the table, followed by numerous side dishes which will serve as snacks between the numerous shots the guests are going to drink throughout the evening.

Having buried Taras, family and veterans prepare to feast in remembrance of their former family member and friend. While others, namely the so called village friends of Taras, prepare to drown the memory of this villager away. But out of secrecy and propriety, not to mention the free food and copious amount of alcohol which is the main attraction, they put on an air of remorse and respect. While everyone is eating and drinking, deciding to take a pause in the ceremonial gluttony, a WW II VETERAN and former Ukrainian partisan, mid 50s, gets up from the table. Wiping his mouth with the side of his hand, the veteran grabs a tall shot glass and raises it high in the air.

VETERAN 1 I think it is time for a toast to our dear friend and comrade.

The guests become quiet and some nod.

VETERAN 1 We loved Taras like a brother.

Motions to the other men in uniform at the table He was a man of honor and integrity. If it was not for him, many of us would not be here. Some nod in approval while others are motionless I would like to express my gratitude for the service of this man and honor his life, he was true muzhik.

The veteran downs the shot of perzovka (Ukrainian vodka with peppers) in one quick motion and others follow suit.

CUT TO: INT. LIVING ROOM BURIAL FEAST – DAY The guests are visibly tipsier. The mood is not quite as somber as it was earlier. Cut to: C.U. of shots of vodka being poured down the throats of the guests and various foodstuffs being consumed by the guests; unwiped pieces of food cling to the sides of the mouths of some; laughter followed clinks of glass. Inappropriate joviality for a post-funeral meal. Dmytro is clearly not enjoying the festive mood and gets up from the table, leaving his plate with half eaten food at the table. His mother, who is busy talking to a guest, notices his exit but does not follow him for she is occupied by some trivial conversation.

CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY OF TARAS’S HOUSE - DAY

Dmytro on his way out of the living room passes through the kitchen and into a dark hallway on his way to the outhouse, when he bumps into a Veteran who is fiddling with his zipper, he has returned from the outhouse but forgot to tidy himself. He is drunk.

The Veteran stumbles into the young boy on his way back from the outhouse.

VETERAN 1 Oh, hey there little fella. Don’t run me over. (Laughs)

CUT TO:

EXT. TARAS’S SUMMER KITCHEN – DAY (Most Ukrainian homes had a summer kitchen that way the heat from cooking would not stay out of the already stuffy house in warmer months). Outside of the white walled and charming summer kitchen, which is in reality nothing more than a hut, are sitting three WWII veterans and an old man. They moved outside and situated themselves around a large bottle of moonshine, which one of the veterans has procured. The somber mood of the comrades seems to have dissipated for they are clearly enjoying the moonshine and laughing. Being alone and away from the other guests also seems to help. The old man who has joined them was fine with his fellow villagers. But following his insatiable thirst led him to the others outside of the summer kitchen, where in his alcoholic mission he found success. Sitting around a large bottle of moonshine and some jars of pickled vegetables, the old man notices the boy in the doorway to the house. He puts down a full glass of moonshine, and looks at the child with admiration.

OLD MAN (Pointing at Dmytro and spilling some of his liquor) He sure looks like his father.

VETERAN Who?

OLD MAN Dmytro, Taras’s boy. His Grandson.

VETERAN Oh…I suppose.

Downing his shot, the Veteran stares blankly at the swaying tall grass in the yard and does not pay attention to Dmytro in the hallway. Dmytro a little disgusted by the drunks walks back inside.

CUT TO: INT. TARAS’S HALLWAY - DAY Back inside the dimly lit hallway we hear the loud chatter of the dinner party. A slightly open door of Taras’s bedroom seems much more inviting to the boy than the gregarious obscenity of the memorial dinner. Dmytro pushes the door open and enters the room.

CUT TO: INT. TARAS’S BEDROOM - DAY

Dmytro walks in and sits down on the empty bed. He looks about the darkened room by the fast approaching evening. The room seems even more austere in the evening light without the old man or his sitters occupying it. POV from bed: A small bedroom of a village home. The CAMERA FOCUSES on various objects as it GLIDES through the room in a spatial exploration. A rug on a wall next to the bed. Pillows stacked in a neat pyramid covered with a decorative white spread. A print on Repin’s famous Cossack painting adorns a wall. In a corner a candle is lit in the “icon corner” The wooden chairs are no longer by the bedside. We cannot make out the faces of the people in the black and white photographs in the dim light. A dead space, which in Dmytro’s mind was full of life. Nothing but empty memories. Looking out of the window onto the evening yard and its beautiful tall grass and distant bright yellow sunflowers, Dmytro is unable to contain his tears. Cut to C.U. of Dmytro’s face. He begins to quietly cry. Embarrassed by his unmanly behavior, the boy attempts to hold off his tears. He breathes heavily, occasionally jerking his head upwards and pressing his lips firmly together. Only the occasional blowing of nose is heard and clenching of the bed covering is seen. This sorry figure of bottled up pain is looking out of the bedroom window and failing at holding off the wave of sorrow.

Dmytro’ POV: a man is standing in the doorway watching him. Startled, Dmytro makes a loud noise with his nose and jumps a little when he notices the darkened figure, which resembles an apparition in the darkened light.

VETERAN It’s OK. We all cry.

Recognizing the voice of the WWII Veteran, Dmytro puts his head down (in shame for being found out).

VETERAN No need to feel embarrassed.

Dmytro does not respond.

The Veteran walks up to the kid and sits down on the bed on which Dmytro is sitting.

VETERAN Best to get it all out at once.

With swelling up eyes, Dmytro looks at the veteran. He nods. Dmytro’s crying is heard.

CUT TO: EXT. OUTDOOR KITCHEN - DAY The veteran returns to the table and takes a seat.

COMRADE 2 Where the hell were you?

COMRADE 1 I was in the kitchen. (Went for some water)

COMRADE 2 Yeah, that’s what we thought. You are not much of a drinker.

COMRADE 1 (Laughing) He never was.

Everyone at the table laughs.

VETERAN No that wasn’t it.

COMRADE 2 Uhuh, Sure.

Looking upset and no longer amused by the jokes, the veteran looks squarely in the eyes of the joker (Comrade 2).

COMRADE 1 I was with Dmytro.

COMRADE 2 Who?

OLD MAN Taras’s grandson!

COMRADE 2 What for?

VETERAN He looked like he could use some company.

OLD MAN That bastard really loved that kid.

Army men become curious at the cause of the verbal insult.

COMRADE 1 Really?

OLD MAN Yeah, he was good to him. He practically raised that boy.

VETETAN Well his mother couldn’t do it all on her own.

OLD MAN Plenty in this village did…I would’ve never though that…(With a sly smile on the face) Taras had a soft spot.

VETERAN What do you mean?

OLD MAN Come on, I know you are not that naïve. You’ve heard the stories… All bastards have a soft spot for someone. You know the German who lived in this house during the war gave food to the family. He probably liked Vera (Dmytro’s mom).

VILLAGER That’s why you think he gave her food? (Chuckles)

VETERAN Who knows, probably.

OLD MAN Jesus, you are either green or a fool

VETERAN If I think you are gonna talk about that, then this is not the time to bring it up. At his house and during his funeral.

OLD MAN Why the hell shouldn’t I!

VETERAN No one wants to hear your gossip.

This remark clearly upsets the old man, for he believes he knows that Taras was involved and the veterans’ gratitude is misplaced. Of course, he will doesn’t want to admit or bring up that he too was helping the Germans to save his own skin. And, moreover, that this was the right thing to do!

OLD MAN Look. You were out there in woods risking your lives every day when he was eating his fucking German chocolate! Comfortably…

VETERAN (Interrupting) He also did his part.

OLD MAN Oh, really, then what was it because we here sure never saw him do nothing. He was with them.

VETERAN I am not so sure ‘bout that…

OLD MAN (Interrupting) I wish I was sitting by a stove in the winter and eating borscht instead of…

COMRADE 1 Well someone had to stay behind and help us. Could you do it!?! Hah?

OLD MAN I would like to know exactly what was it that did?

VETERAN He did a great number of things. He spied on the Germans, brought us food, medical supplies in the forest…

OLD MAN Come on, Taras helping the partisans!?

VETERAN Yes, he helped all of us.

OLD MAN You are just saying that…How could anybody help, we were all scared, trying to survive and not give the Germans anything. But help you! And risk it all. Do you know what would happen to all of us in the village if the Germans even thought someone was helping you?

COMRADE 1 Not everyone had the guts to stay behind and face them…to work with them…he saved us and his family.

OLD MAN That’s a lie! What about his country. What if all were such patriots?

The old man at the table waves his hand in disgust.

The veteran and the other comrades are becoming angry and suspicious

VETERAN You better watch what you say!

OLD MAN I’m not scared of any of yous, I’ll tell you exactly what I think. That bastard helped you and ruined us…and his country. We had a chance, but you had to come crawling, helping, fighting. Who did you help then? Yourself and the fucking Russians? What about us?

Though familiar with this type of rhetoric, the veteran and the comrades are shocked nonetheless. The comrades are quiet, stunned by the remark. The Veteran motions with his hand that the old man is drunk and crazy.

VETERAN I think it’s time for you to lie down…

OLD MAN You are not going to tell me what to do, that’s all that you and your kind does, bosses us around. We can decide for ourselves what to do. You couldn’t even wipe your own ass when…

VETERAN Get a hold of yourself

OLD MAN And now you sing praises to Taras, that parasite. The Germans were on our side, but he had to ruin it and risk our lives to help you. You fucking Russian stooge. You sold us out and for what?! So you can claim you helped to build a brighter future? Look around asshole, what do you see? And now tell me what did you build?

VETERAN Enough!!! I’ve heard enough form this traitorous pig. Come on guys it’s time for him to rest.

The comrades shuffle up to the old man and grab his and his cane and begin to drag him back in doors, drunk and furious the old man is like a verbal machine gun firing out empty insults. The Veteran, with both hands on the table, sits motionless. He is stunned.

The mother with an empty bottle in each hand, on her way to the summer kitchen for more drink for the guests emptied her supply in the kitchen, bumps into Dmytro who is standing in the doorway, unseen by the drunken interlocutors in the evening light.

Realizing that Dmytro heard their conversation, the veteran stand up and begins to move toward Dmytro. Everyone at the table is now quiet, and are looking at the figures in the doorway.

LIDA What’s going on?

Dmytro brushes past the comrade and runs on the narrow path leading out of the yard.

VETERAN Dmytro! Dmytro! Come back!

LIDA What happened?

Looking guilty, the Veteran runs after the boy.

CUT TO: EXT. BARLEY FIELD – DAY Shots cut between Dmytro running and panting and the Veteran running and panting through the tall stalks of barley. The older, drunk, comrade stops. Heavily panting, he grabs his chest and bends down spitting and coughing. Raising his head, he sees the kid running far ahead of him. The veteran sits down with one leg stretched out on the ground and the other half bent, and pulls out a cigarette, lights it. Smoking it, he watches Dmytro run over the hill and out of sight, the setting sun shines directly in the comrade’s eyes and he is no longer able to see the kid.

CUT TO: EXT. FIELD – DAY Dmytro stops running, looking back he sees no one. He is alone. Standing in the field with his back turned towards us. Hands are spread out feeling the barley stalks swaying in the wind. Dmytro’s POV: rolling hills of golden barley seem to extend into the setting sun.

Camera switches to PROFILE SHOT, the kid is looking in the distance towards the Sun. His face is lit by the fading light. Picture of freedom and escape. Escape from memory, from rumors, from it all. Cool evening breeze and sounds of the wind and nature replace the grotesque debate and drunken memorial in the village home. Birds sinning and wind blowing is all that we hear. With a mile-long stare, Dmytro begins to smile. Relief.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT Having returned home, Dmytro notices that the guests have left and his mother with the help of another woman is washing the dishes and fiddling about in the kitchen. Noticing her son, she walks over to him.

The mother hits Dmytro on the top of his head, for running off.

LIDA Where were you?

DMYTRO Out in the fields

LIDA I should get a belt and give you a real good hiding for staying out so late. What did I tell you?

DMYTRO No, please don’t. I promise I won’t stay out late.

Seeing that her threat has sunk in, the mother holds her son’s head with both of her hands and gives him a kiss.

LIDA OK, you just make me worry so much. The old man was too soft on you. Now wash up and go to bed.

She gives him another kiss and Dmytro walks out of frame. We hear water dripping. The mother looks out of frame towards her son with a faint smile. A job well done.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT Dmytro is in bed, lying on his side covered by a blanket. He is studying his grandfather’s medal, which he holds in the open palm of his hand.

The mother quietly walks in. Dmytro hears her and clenches his fist to hide the medal. She walks up to the bed and sits down.

DMYTRO Mom, is it true what the old man said about grandpa? LIDA What did he say? DMYTRO That he helped the Germans and was not fighting against them like the partisans.

LIDA Of course he fought against the Germans. You should not listen to silly old drunks. He is just bitter. Ivan, like most men in this village didn’t have the guts to stand up to the fascists.

Sitting up in bed and looking at his mother in disbelief.

DMYTRO What do you mean?

Realizing she has gone too far and let her emotions run free,

LIDA Your grandfather was a great man and loved you very much. You must always remember that. Now, go to sleep. Want me to sing you your favorite song?

DMYTRO Aha.

The mother begins to quietly sing a folk song in Ukrainian.

Dmytro seems to believe his mother. For reassurance he opens his clenched fist and looks at the medal in his hand.

As Dmytro begins to close his eyes and fall asleep, the CAMERA DRIFTS AWAY from the two figures and OUT OF THE BEDROOM WINDOW.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT Our gaze drifts out through the window: we see the light in the bedroom and the two figures. The image grows smaller as the CAMERA FLOATS further and further away from the house until all we see is a house with a single light in the window. And we are back where the film started but at night: Image of the village from hill: dark silhouettes of homes and some faint lights from windows. As we move further away from the village we see a dark landscape with indistinct lights, almost resembling the stars. The mother’s FOLK SONG is mixed with the SINNING OF THE CICADAS and SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT on the soundtrack as the CAMERA MOVES AWAY further away from the village.

CUT TO: EXT. VIEW OF VILLAGE - NIGHT The camera’s DRIFT ceases and it begins to SPIN up and down high in the night sky like a billiard ball rolling away from the village.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE SKY/GROUND - NIGHT Spinning Camera POV: Starry black sky and blackness over and over on the screen increasing in momentum until the sky cannot be distinguished from the earth. Wild, disorienting, up and down spinning. As this is going on, gradually fade in AIR RAID SIREN droning noise. The alarming noise grows louder and louder—the camera is spinning faster and faster—viewers’ disorientation is ever increasing. Then, at once, all is SILENT! Sound stops and camera’s wild spin halts at the same precise moment.

OVER BLACK

TITLE CARD:

PART 2

FADE OUT TEXT

EXT. ROLLING UKRANIAN FIELDS – NIGHT It is dark, very dark. And absolutely dead silent. Cut to: C.U. pair of shuffling dark boots pass by right in front of us. Then another and another. CAMERA ZOOMS OUT to reveal an impressive Nazi advance. The Germans are confident stepping on Ukrainian earth like it is their own. Fade in SOUND: loud shuffling of feet and bodies in motion, then motorized noises of mechanical doom—tank engines roaring, their tracks squeaking, other motorized machinery rumbling, and planes screeching overhead.

Cut to: Two peasant, village boys are lying low to the ground in a field far away from the German advance, watching the march of the Nazis with amazement and anxiety. Loud airplane cannon fire from the darkness above. Some anti— aircraft cannon traces can be seen in the distance.

The two nameless village boys begin to get up, disturbed by the action. A falling and burning German plane roars by them and crashes in a fantastically loud fireball.

Stunned, the boys take a moment to gaze at the sight of the crashed plane burning in the distance and setting fire to the field. Then coming to their senses, they run away towards a nearby wood.

CUT TO: EXT. FOREST – NIGHT The two boys are running through a dark forest, scared for their lives, panting: they’ve been running for some time. Running wildly, they do not notice that they run right into a path on which a peasant, quietly humming some song, is leading a horse by a worn-out rope.

The peasant is Taras. Though he is a peasant that does not mean he is an uncouth country bumpkin.

Walking with a stray horse, Taras is struck by the sudden arrival of two boys:

TARAS Hey, what are doing out here at night? BOY (panting) We were running away from…from…a battle! TARAS You have some imagination! I should give you a smack for lying to me. BOY 2 There was… BOY (interrupting) A whole army was marching and then there was fire and aeroplan fell from the sky, on fire! BOY 2 There were metal machines and many soldiers… TARAS Where? The boys look at each other. One points one way, the other points another; they are lost and not sure where they came from.

TARAS I thought so. So what are you really doing out here? BOY No I swear, we were just there! BOY 2 Yeah, we almost got killed! An airplan fell and exploded right in front of us? BOY Yeah! They shot at it and it exploded! The kid impersonates the anti-aircraft cannon fire and the whoosh and boom-explosion of the airplane. TARAS Alright, alright. Calm down. BOY 2 You did not hear it? BOY So?

TARAS I heard some rumblings. BOY So you know about the battle! TARAS I am not sure about this battle of yours: the wood is strange at night. One hears all kinds of things, if you just listen. Taras gets quiet and looks about, listening attentively. Mesmerized and spooked the kids also try to listen very hard. Then suddenly the faint, ethereal breeze and shuffle of leaves that are not seen but heard in the nighttime forest is loudly interrupted by Taras; the boys jump a little. TARAS There is no use standing here now, we better go. BOY 2 Are you going back to village?

TARAS I am. And so are you two. Follow me, or you two will get lost again and find yourself in a battle. BOY What if they are there? TARAS Who? The bad guys from that battle of yours, the fascists? Let us hope they are not: It is not on their way. And you keep quiet about this thing, or I will tell your fathers you’ve been out poaching at night when you should have been in bed. Did you hear what I said? Both boys nod. BOY So you really did not see them or hear the guns? Taras hushes them and proceeds through the wood; the boys follow him. BOY (whispering to his pal) We are gonna give a real whipping to these fascists, they don’t stand a chance against the Red Army Taras gives him a smack on the head. TARAS What did I tell? You are to keep quiet about this. I do not want to hear any more about any battles or fighting from any of you!

BOY 2 Taras Denisovich, where are you coming from so that you didn’t hear it?

TARAS If you weren’t two little trouble makers you wouldn’t bother yourselves with such questions, and would be at home asleep, where you should be. Wait till your fathers hear about this. Then you will learn to keep quiet. He looks sternly at the boys, annoyed. The kids, having received a physical and verbal blow, are now hushed and demure. Realizing he may have been too stern with the two distressed boys who witnessed death for the first time, Taras relents.

TARAS I was out, setting traps, then I ran into this fella all by himself, wondering in the forest, like you two. He proudly looks at the horse and pets it face. BOY 2 Does he have a name? TARAS No, I did not give him one.

BOY 2 We should name him. TARAS And what name do you want to give him? BOY 2 Lev. TARAS That’s a strange name for a horse. BOY 2 He is all by himself in the forest, brave, like a lion. TARAS Or he lost his pack.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE FIELDS – DAY Women and some men are working in a field. The summer sun is high in the sky and it is hot. A peasant woman, with a sweaty brow, is energetically working, glances to her side, notices the person next to her has stopped. She looks up, everyone has stopped and is watching grey men and machines approaching them on a dirt road raising a very large cloud of dust. The tired and sweaty peasants stop their work and watch with curious anxiety the imminent approach of an uncertain gray mass.

TITLE CARD OVER IMAGE:

Chapter 1 Crimson Light

FADE TO BLACK OVER BLACK: A SCREAM of a woman is heard.

FADE IN: EXT. VILLAGE COURTYARD – DAY

C.U. of the face of the young screaming peasant woman, in traditional peasant outfit, is shown. She is one of the many peasants dancing in a village fete. She is dancing with some peasants to accordion music and occasionally lets out a rhythmic scream. Nazis stand by and watch the party. The woman approaches a soldier and dances in front of him; the soldier can’t resist and begins to dance as well. A few more soldiers join the eclectic dance party, but other soldiers look on with curiosity. We DRIFT through the gaiety and stop at the somber face of Taras who is standing by the festivity but not dancing.

He turns away from the party and leaves.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE PARTY - DAY As we DRIFT through the party the CAMERA FOCUSES on the central dancer: a peasant girl in a red skirt. As she dances with a German soldier, her red skirt flares out. MONTAGE – EXT. VILLAGE PARTY/VILLAGE MASSACRE - DAY The MUSIC to which the two dancers are dancing to, plays throughout the montage.

MASSACRE: In an unnamed Ukrainian village, German soldiers are grabbing people out of their village homes and shoving them into an assembly. PARTY: The dance starts to speed up. MASSACRE: More people, women with little kids in arms are shoved into the gray, peasant mass. The people are nervous and look more like cattle than human beings, absolutely powerless. PARTY: The peasants are really watching the two dancers who are passionately locked into a trance like dance, which by now has reached a furious pace. The two dancers gaze into each other’s eyes lustfully. MASSACRE: The scared mass of huddled people of all ages, in their cheap gray outfits cowers as the Germans form a neat line in front of them.

PARTY: Our view of the dancers rises in the sky above them. POV of the heavens: Keeping time with the music our gaze starts to spin in a circle, mimicking the dancers. MASSACRE: The Germans open fire, massacring all of the people, women and children, everyone who they pulled out of homes. We watch the

34 grotesquely bloody execution. The bullets do not neatly kill everyone, some are not dead but morbidly wounded. The camera does not flinch. PARTY: The music at the dance has reached its climax. MASSACRE: The Germans reload to finish their job on the wounded bodies that lie on the ground next to the dead and open fire. PARTY:

Heavens POV: the CAMERA, still spinning in circles, spirals crashing down, right into the dancers from above, into the flared, crimson red skirt of the peasant.

END MONTAGE

CUT TO: CRIMSON RED FRAME

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. VILLAGE STREET – DAY A quiet village street. It is very quiet, almost silent. Taras appears, disheveled, he is walking the street aimlessly. A group of German soldiers is walking with peasant girls and attempting to communicate with them. They pass by Taras, he turns his head and looks at them as the group passes by. Walking by a house, he halts and looks into a window.

CUT TO: EXT/INT. VILLAGE HOUSE WINDOW/HOUSE ROOM – DAY Taras peaks in a window of a house, Germans are seated around a table, drinking, eating and laughing; their guns are on the table, besides their drinks. An old man walks up to them and serves them food.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE STREET – DAY Taras turns away from the window and walks on. He keeps walking, and we watch him in real-time. The PARTY MUSIC, which is far away is heard, begins to fade in. A German is leading a pig and passes by Taras. Going in the other direction, a group of peasants rushes towards the square, from which the music is heard. Taras arrives at the village square. A growing gathering is underway.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE – DAY

Dangling feet sway in the air, CREAKS of a tight strung rope are heard. The CAMERA MOVES UPWARD from the dangling feet to reveal the bodies and then the mutilated faces of a few young, dead men hanging by their throats. Their shirts stained in dark, old blood. The square is deserted.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STOREROOM – DAY Four young men who we just saw hanging are quite alive. Attempting to be inconspicuous too overtly, they pry open a door and shuffle into a dimly lit storeroom.

CUT TO: INT. STOREROOM - DAY In the dark room, the men open a large grain sack and begin to fill their small, individual sacks full of grain. As this is going on one of the peasants, Mytko, a kid of about twelve, stands on watch by the shut door, listening for anyone approaching. Finished, the peasants lift up a large unopened sack and place it on the shoulders of two men. Mytko hears some voice and motions to the men, one of the men runs up to the door and listens: he hears German. He grabs Mytko and motions to the others. The peasants drop the sack and move it back to its original position and hide behind the stack of sacks.

Taras walks into the storeroom with a German LANDWIRT and a German interpreter. TARAS As you know, this is where we store the grain over winter. The interpreter interprets this. TARAS I keep the records and provide the kolhosp with it. As you can see, I keep some things off the books.

This is interpreted. Cut to a C.U. of Mytko’s eyes: they are full of fear, though he is hidden in the dark storeroom, we see a ray of the summer sun’s light exposing a pair of scared eyes. Cut back to Taras and the three Germans: The landwirt seems pleased and nods. He walks up to the sacks, behind which the men and the boy are hiding, places his hand on it and gives the sack a few smacks: he is quite pleased. As he is smacking the sack he notices too much grain on the floor. Surprised, the landwirt walks around the sacks in inspection and stops.

Cut to Mytko’s POV: He is kneeling low to the ground, and from this position we see the imposing German from the bottom up, he is standing astride, puts his hands in his pockets, and says something in German, quite calmly: LANDWIRT Jan, summon the men, I found some rather large rats that need to be flushed out. The crouching Mytko makes a break for it, knocking down the landwirt and storming out of the storeroom. Furiously angry, the landwirt stands up and quickly walks out of the storeroom in pursuit.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE – DAY The kid is running as fast as he can away from the storeroom and towards the fields. Taras rushes out of the storeroom. TARAS Stop! Stop Mytko! A disheveled German soldier standing outside of the storeroom looks uncertain as to what to do. He looks at the landwirt as for direction.

Full of disdain on his face for the lack of action, the landwirt pulls out his pistol, cocks it and fires in the direction of the fleeing kid. He misses and fires again, Mytko is too far away to be reached by a pistol shot. Then acting decisively, the landwirt grabs the private’s rifle, cocks it and fires a shot in the direction of the fleeing peasant. The peasant still keeps running. He takes his time aiming, the peasant is far away now, looking like he just might escape. Then another crack of the rifle. Mytko makes a few strides and falls to the ground. The landwirt hands the rifle back to the soldier. And turns his gaze towards the storeroom. In which the other peasants dare not try to escape.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE – DAY Three shabby dressed young men from the storeroom incident, who look quite physically beaten, are led by Nazi soldiers to the gallows. And are stopped in front of the gallows at gunpoint. A GERMAN OFFICER walks out from the ranks with an interpreter, looks at the men, then at the village crowd which has been assembled and of which Taras is part of, and addresses the crowd through his aid.

NAZI OFFICER These men that stand before you are thieves! Some spoken verbal condemnations, but general apathy of the crowd toward the subject. Some grumble but most do not care for the lecture: Who doesn’t steal? Especially not to starve in a Ukrainian village.

NAZI OFFICER They have been caught stealing grain for which you sweat and toil. This is a terrible offense, and must be punished. But that is not why you are gathered here today. No, this is not all. These rats do not steal out of greed or gluttony. They steal for a cause. They are Soviet sympathizers! The crowd roars in angry disapproval. NAZI OFFICER Yes, yes, these men want you to toil on collective farms for the benefit of the Soviet state; working day after day, letting the fruits of your hard work be taken while you starve; your land is stolen and spoiled by the Soviet thieves. Who does your land belong to? Not the communists, not the Russians, but to you. These men, who stand before you, would not have it this way. They want you to continue to be enslaved by Soviet power. Till the land for the communist overlords who believe in neither personal property nor personal dignity. Have the fields of Ukraine ravaged for the benefit of Soviet bellies while Ukraine starves. Should we spare these traitors of Ukraine? The crowd now hates the thieves. NAZI OFFICER

No, they must be made an example of, so that they may be a reminder of our justice. We are here to give your land back to you, and deliver you from the oppressive hold of the Soviet kolhosp! With us, every hard- working peasant will get his own land! More and more peasants yell in approval.

NAZI OFFICER We stand united against the Soviet menace. Let this be a reminder to all who oppose us and strong Ukraine!

He turns from the crowd and nods to the soldiers who stand over the prisoners. NAZI OFFICER This is what will happen to any traitor of the Third Reich and any Soviet sympathizer. The German soldiers quickly lead the three men to the gallows, slip on the nooses and hang them. The hanging men’s feet and bodies twitch, their death was not a quick one.

An older peasant woman starts to weep and move toward the gallows. Taras moves towards her and embraces her.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - DAY We are back at the square and Taras is watching some German soldiers by the corpses on the gallows. We hear the MUSIC of the celebration in the distance. A few drunken German SS troops are joking and making faces by their dead victims.

One of the joking German soldiers says something to another soldier, and then the rest of them say the same thing to this soldier. The pestering soldiers pose in front of the hanging corpses while the pestered one gives the soldiers directions for taking a photo. Taras walks closer to the scene. TARAS Hey! Leave them alone. The photographing German soldier yells something at him in German.

Undeterred, Taras proceeds to the scene and begins to push the soldiers away. TARAS They should be buried, this is not right, you do not mock the dead!

The photographing soldier pushes Taras away.

SS PHOTOGRAPHER (GOLO) Drunk fool. But Taras does not relent. The other soldiers begin to make fun of the “weakling” photographer. Their jokes are in German and are not subtitled, but from the annoyed face of the young photographing soldier it is soon understood that he is not happy with the mockery and his perceived ineptitude. SS SOLDIER Look at Golo!

SS SOLIDER 2 He is such a weakling. SS SOLDIER 3 How did you think he got into the SS? He mimics a blowjob. Soldiers laugh. SS SOLDIER He’s too pretty to be a soldier, no wonder! SS SOLIDER 2 What’s the matter Golo? One Ukrainian shit is too much for you? SS SOLIDER He was always the sensitive type. SS SOLDIER 3 Cocksucker!

Annoyed, the young German photographer puts the camera down and pushes Taras quite hard, knocking him down to the ground from the gallows. SS SOLDIER 2 Ooh, look at the gigolo go! SS SOLIDER What’s the matter Golo? That’s all you’ve got? SS SOLIDER 3 Come on pansy, finish it! Golo then proceeds to kick him many times, while the posing soldiers watch the brutality with pleasure.

Finished with the beating, sweating and tired, Golo adjusts his pristine uniform, gets back in position and begins to take photographs of his fellow soldiers in front of the hanged men.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE – NIGHT Taras is laying bloody and bruised in the dirt square, in the same place and position in which the young German soldier left him after the beating, earlier in the day. Occasionally he makes some quiet noises of a beaten man who is barely alive and is desperately trying to cling on to life. From the dark, the two boys Taras met in the forest run out from behind a house and check if Taras is alive. They motion with their hands in the direction of a dark lane between houses. A female figure runs out from the dark. She kneels by the man. Then the three of them pick up Taras by the hands and drag him out of the street and into the shadows.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE HOUSE – DAY LIDA is feeding chickens. She is a pretty peasant woman in her late teens, and yes she is woman at this age for she grew up during famine, executions, and came of age during the Nazi occupation. A young German soldier is walking toward her. Her hands begin to slightly shake as he approaches; she is no longer throwing feed to the chickens but looks down. The German soldier—a very young private, JÖRN—looks at her with suggestive disgust as he brushes past her and walks into the house. Out of frame: JÖRN (yelling) Lida! Lida!

Lida hesitates for a moment and then quickly walks into the house.

The chickens go about gobbling the feed like nothing is going on, village life goes on as before.

CUT TO:

INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – DAY Jörn is seated at the table as Lida walks in. One of his dirty booted legs is stretched out and is placed on the other stool at the table—a position that demonstrates powerful and arrogant demeanor. He points with both of his hands at the empty table. Lida pours him a drink from a clay jar and places it in front of the soldier. Then she promptly begins to prepare a meal. As she is going about the business of preparing food for the soldier, with her back towards Jörn, he watches her with some pleasure, sipping on the drink. Wiping his mouth, he places the cup down, removes his foot from the stool, pushes the stool out of the way and stands up. Lida looks to her side nervously, but does not turn around. Jörn walks up to Lida and grabs her by the waist; she jerks nervously; Jörn moves his head towards Lida’s ear and begins to whisper something that is no doubt lewd and obscene in German. Then he grabs her hand and turns her around so she faces him; he begins to kiss and whisper obscenities in German. Lida starts to cry.

Moaning of a man is heard out of frame. Disgust comes over the face of Jörn. He walks to a room with an open door, out of which the moan had come from, and slams the door shut. He returns to Lida and resumes his advances. Lida is no longer crying quietly but is weeping. Jörn stops and pushes Lida away in disgust.

IN GERMAN: JÖRN Stupid slut. Cry; cry, cry. That’s all you ever do now. You know I can’t when you cry. But you wait, just wait till you father gets better, then you won’t cry, will you? Lida says nothing. He grabs her by the throat and looks furiously into her eyes.

JÖRN You know why you won’t cry, huh? You don’t do you? Because I will fucking kill him!

Jörn lets go of Lida and walks into the bedroom where the moans were heard earlier.

CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM – DAY Badly bruised Taras is lying in bed, convalescing. Jörn walks right up to the man, pushing Lida away who is clinging desperately to Jörn, pulls a gun out of his holster, cocks the gun and points it at Taras’s head. Lida begins kissing Jörn all over and begging him to stop. LIDA Don’t, please don’t, I won’t cry, I won’t cry ever again. I promise, I won’t cry, never, I swear. Jörn…

She kisses the hand in which Jörn holds the gun, rubs her cheek over that hand. Even more disgusted now, Jörn slaps Lida, she crawls back, Jörn then slaps her harder with the hand in which he holds the gun. She falls to the floor. Jörn looks at the pathetic creature on the floor like it is both an object of disgust and great fun. Jörn calmly places the gun back in his holster, adjusts his uniform, steps over Lida, who is lying on the floor from the hard slap, and walks out of the room. After few seconds the slam of a door is heard. Lida, crying silently from the shock, crawls to her father’s bedside and places her head in the arms of Taras, who with great effort attempts to embrace her.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE BEDROOM – EVENING Taras is convalescing alone. Shadows pass over his stationary body, INDISTINCT MUTTER is heard out of frame.

TITLE CARD OVER IMAGE

Chapter 2 The Arrival of Lieutenant Scholz

FADE OUT TITLE CARD

On the soundtrack: The noise of a car is head out of frame. The car stops and the ENGINE NOISE is cut off. INDISTINCT GERMAN. CREAK OF A DOOR, SHUFFLE OF FEET, then steady and heavy STOMPING OF BOOTS on a wooden floor. Taras’s becomes uneasy and anxious.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE Looking very neat, Jörn gives a Nazi salute to the officer who has just entered the room with a small entourage. The officer is WALTHER SCHOLZ an early thirties, handsome army man. Though he may look menacing in his uniform, and there is a good reason for that, he has what some might call a “gentle soul.” But only Walther knows this, to the rest of his men he is a figure of authority and admiration. The ideal officer type. A soldier from Lieutenant’s entourage whispers something to his commander, after which the Lieutenant gives a small bow to Lida, who smiles nervously and looks down. LIEUTENANT (to Lida in German) Would you excuse us for a few minutes? Lida says nothing and gives another nervous smile.

JÖRN Sir, the wench does not know a word of German.

Loudly at Lida and pointing at the door. JÖRN Out! Get out! Lida obliges and leaves quickly. The Lieutenant sits down at the table, and takes off his cap, which he places on the table.

LIEUT. Get me a drink. JÖRN Yes, Lieutenant. LIEUT. (to the soldiers who arrived with him) You may leave. They salute him and leave at the command.

Jörn pours something for the Lieutenant from a clay jar. He drinks it, and crosses his legs, relaxed. LIEUT. Your name is…? JÖRN Jörn, sir. LIEUT. Where are you from Jörn? JÖRN I am from a village Rüdesheim which is near Frankfurt. LIEUT. I hear it is beautiful there. JÖRN Yes, sir. It is. The views from our village are spectacular.

LIEUT. I, myself, love the mountains. And how long have you been stationed here?

JÖRN Oh, a few months sir. LIEUT. How do you like it, not like back home, huh?

JÖRN It is a splendid retreat, but I wish to be at the front serving the Fuhrer.

LIEUT. Well put, but come on, look at this place…a splendid retreat, I think not. Jörn gives a little smile. LIEUT You miss the mountains? JÖRN Yes, sir. I do. LIEUT That can’t be all you miss, what else?

JÖRN To be honest sir… LIEUT Please. JÖRN The food. LIEUT. Yes, we all do. How is the food here, worse than Poland? JÖRN The food is not to my liking, sir. LIEUT Would you rather eat what is served in field kitchens then? JÖRN No, of course this is much better, but…it is this wench, Lida, she cannot cook. I think she does it on purpose. LIEUT. Oh, obstructing the health of our soldiers is an offense, and if that is the case she must be reprimanded. Yelling at the poor peasant in a language she does not understand will not change her cooking, Jörn. Have you brought this to the attention of the commandant?

JÖRN No sir, I would rather not trouble him with such a matter. I have disciplined her personally. LIEUT. And has the food improved after? JÖRN A little. LIEUT. How did you discipline her?

JÖRN I gave her a few smacks sir. This lot does not understand a word of German, so we have to find other means of making them understand. LIEUT. We? JÖRN Well when these peasants get in the way of the men, we of course attempt to talk to them, but they are as stubborn as mules, and stupid too. So naturally, sometimes, we have to resort to other means of enforcement. LIEUT. Violence, Jörn, is not an offense, we are soldiers after all. But the manner and appropriateness of violent means is to be taken into consideration of the occupying force. JÖRN Yes sir. LIEUT. And you have not notified the appropriate authorities of this, this matter. JÖRN I have…resolved the matter sir.

LIEUT. I see, by dispensing beatings, personally?! Initiative is a commendable quality, but it is not complemented by brash stupidity! You are to follow protocol and use common sense. You will be relieved of you post here and billeted elsewhere. Is that understood? JÖRN Yes, sir. LIEUT. Furthermore, Jörn, you will inform the commendant that I chose to be stationed at this dwelling, and you will personally make sure my belongings are securely transferred here. JÖRN Understood, sir. LIEUT. Jörn, are you aware of why I am doing this?

JÖRN To reprimand me, sir. LIEUT. Yes. And to teach you a lesson. Are you aware of what the lesson is? JÖRN That I shall follow protocol and obey the chain of command, sir.

LIEUT. Yes Jörn, well, that is correct. But we, as the occupying force that is trying to destabilize Soviet power, must treat the Ukrainian peasants with respect. You may not like them, in fact, you may consider them to be the scum of this earth, and between you and me, they often are. But our views cannot impede on our mission as Fuhrer’s soldiers. And that means the Ukrainian peasant must trust us and like us. You cannot go on beating village girls and then expect the peasants to trust us to deliver them from the Soviet menace. Now take a moment for that to sink in, and after you think about this you are to let me know any other relevant information about this dwelling. After taking a few moments to think, or pretending to think: JÖRN The girl lives here with her father, he is a quiet peasant, I believe he has some stature in the village.

LIEUT. Where is he now? JÖRN He is in the other room, sir. LIEUT. (looks around, and points with his finger at the door) Right there? JÖRN Yes, sir. LIEUT. Well why is he hiding there? Ask him to come out. JÖRN He is not hiding sir, he is recovering. LIEUT. Recovering from what?

JÖRN He was beaten, sir. LIEUT. Another victim of personally dispensed discipline!? JÖRN No sir. He was meddling with the S.S. boys who came through here earlier. LIEUT. How could he meddle with our finest troops? Express yourself clearly Jörn. JÖRN From what I heard, sir, he was preventing the soldiers from taking a picture. LIEUT. That does not sound like an offense that deserves such harsh punishment. What were they taking a picture of? JÖRN Hung Soviet sympathizers. LIEUT. I see. Does he harbor Soviet sympathies? JÖRN No, I believe not, sir. Our records show that he was a son of a wealthy farmer and he and his family were all massacred by the Soviets. May I speak freely sir? LIEUT. Go ahead. JÖRN This lot is very superstitious. For them the dead are not to be meddled with…

LIEUT. I think that is a universal trait Jörn.

JÖRN Yes sir, but these peasants are odd. More so than the ones we saw in Poland.

The Lieutenant nods and sips on his drink, pondering something.

CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT Taras wakes up and gets out of bed. It is dark outside. He gingerly puts on his pants then his shirt and tucks the loose fitting shirt into his trousers, takes a sack off a chair, and walks out.

CUT TO: EXT. FOREST – NIGHT Taras is carrying a couple of dead hares along with his sack and traps. He comes to a clearing. Takes the sack off his shoulders and sets down his belongings. He gazes intently into the dark abyss of the forest.

TARAS It is alright, I am alone. We hear some shuffling and a few men come out of the forest. The men are partisans. Tough, yet thin, s.o.b’s. They are the kind of person who enjoys the wilderness and the hunt, except these guys enjoy hunting people. The partisan who speaks has his hands resting on his rifle, like it is not a weapon but a bar stool; he is relaxed. Taras is anxious. PARTISAN I see that you are not alone, Taras; you brought a couple of friends with you. Taras looks at the two dead hares.

TARAS Oh, those, yes, they sure look good, will make for a good stew. The Germans eat well, we eat.

PARTISAN You don’t look so good. TARAS No, I guess I don’t. PARTISAN You care to tell us what happened?

TARAS Those bastards shot Mytko and hung the others. Branding them Soviet sympathizers. Then the bastards took pictures with them. I tried to stop them but they beat me. PARTISAN Did they talk? TARAS No, I am still here. PARTISAN I am assuming it is still safe for us to work together? Otherwise you would jeopardize yourself and the village?

TARAS Yes. I never talked to the boys. They knew that I took care of the grain off the books, the Germans found this to be an asset—a symbol of my hatred for Stalin. PARTISAN So it is not all bad news after all. TARAS You can be really sick: three men and a boy died because of this.

PARTISAN Taras, listen, if you want to make it through this you will need to have a stronger stomach. (pause) Can you find someone else to deliver the grain?

TARAS I am not so sure. Maybe. You see, the Germans brought a guy who keeps track of supplies, and to make matters worse, a German big-shot is now stationed at my house. PARTISAN You really are looking at this thing the wrong way, Taras. This is the best news. What is his name? TARAS Lieutenant Scholz, and I don’t like how that bastard looks at my Lida. PARTISAN Work on the grain situation if you can. But it is more important now for you to pay close attention to this Scholz. TARAS I’ll do what I can. How is Mykola? PARTISAN Alive.

CUT TO: EXT. POW CAMP – DAY Emaciated Soviet prisoners of war are standing about, anxious. PRISON GUARD To the canteen! Run! After these words are heard, we follow one of the prisoners in a desperate attempt to get to the canteen.

CUT TO: INT. POW CAMP CANTEEN – DAY

A Soviet POW is desperately trying to get ahead of the mass of crazed prisoners who behave more like wild, starving animals than human beings in their attempt to get to a barrel with food. As this is going on, cries of pain are heard. Our prisoner is unsettled by this, but keeps pushing forward. As he is pushing himself forward, he receives an unintentional blow from an elbow of a fellow POW who is also trying to get ahead. He falls to the ground. From the FLOOR we see guards rush up and viciously beat the prisoners in an attempt to form

54 them into a line. As this fails to control the POW’s, the beating continues, becoming more bloody and savage. The beating is so brutal that those who have been at the front of the queue eating cannot swallow their food and retreat from the barrel; the more emaciated prisoners lie motionless on the ground—beaten to death. Our POW is crawling away from the queue, over beaten and dead bodies.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – DAY Taras walks into the house, takes off his sack and hands the hares to Lida. She looks at him desperately and inquisitively, Taras gives her a slight nod, and walks into his room. Taking the two dead hares to the kitchen area, Lida puts them down and looks at them.

CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Taras gets out of bed, quietly puts on clothes, walks up to a door, pauses, and pushes it open.

CUT TO: EXT. FIELD – NIGHT Taras is walking through a field quietly. The forest is in the distance.

CUT TO: EXT. FOREST – NIGHT

We see a clearing, then Taras, who walks out into the clearing from the dark forest. He is alone.

CUT TO: BLACK FRAME We hear a BEATING. Then QUIETUDE and SOUNDS of NATURE: the awakening birds of the early morning begin to sing.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOLHOUSE – DAY We see a door, hear it being unlocked. It opens and Lieutenant Scholz is standing with another two Germans looking at Taras in chains. He has been apprehended. The two Germans pick up Taras by the arms and walk him out of the room.

CUT TO: INT. SCHOOLHOUSE – DAY We see a wooden table in front of which is a chair. A uniformed hand slides the chair out from the table and Taras is placed in the chair. He looks down at the table. Scholz walks up to the other side of the table and sits down by an interpreter who is already seated at the table. He pulls out a neat, metal cigarette case, procures a cigarette, which is lighted by the interpreter. He takes a few enjoyable puffs, ashes his cigarette and only then looks at Taras. The conversation is carried out through the interpreter: LIEUTENANT What do you have to say?

Taras does not respond. LIEUTENANT Fine, I’ll start. It has come to our, erm, my attention, that you take frequent trips to the forest? Trapping trips. Do you not? Taras nods. LIEUTENANT Trapping is not a crime, but as you undoubtedly understand such trips can be seen as suspicious. And based on your reluctance to willingly communicate, Taras, you leave me very little choice but to think of the worst. Taras does not respond.

LIEUTENANT I will not waste our time, then. You have two options, and from where you are sitting the latter option is the one I would choose. The first option: you remain being silent, and by doing so leave me no choice but to assume the worst and as a result of which I will be forced to hand you over to the appropriate authorities and you will be dealt with not in a dissimilar manner as any other Soviet pest. The second option is you break your stubborn and counterproductive silence and tell me, right now, about the nature of your trapping excursions. Taras takes a deep sigh, and in the process makes up his mind. TARAS If I tell what I think you want me to tell you, how do I know that I will not be harmed? LIUTENANT You don’t. But what choice do you have?

Taras seems unconvinced. LIEUTENANT Think about Lida, what will happen to her if you do not choose to tell the truth? Sholz hits the right emotional button; right in the bull’s eye. TARAS I was in the forest, trapping, I ran into a band of men.

LIEUTENANT When? TARAS Not so long ago, I can’t remember exactly.

LIEUTENANT Go on.

TARAS They head weapons but were dressed in civilian clothes. They nearly shot me, but realizing I was just a peasant they let me go—for a price. They questioned me about the village, and these are not the sort of men one lies to, so they found out I administered the storerooms. I had to bring them grain or else: He makes a gesture imitating someone slitting his throat. I got to know them, well I only ever spoke with one of them. This man, it turns out was in charge of recruiting any willing men to fight the Germans. Some of the men in his unit were from the Red army units which were crushed. LIEUTENANT You provided grain to the partisans out of fear or loyalty? TARAS I did it for Lida.

LIEUTENANT Really? How so? TARAS Before the war, Lida was in love. Mykola ran off to join the army. We did not hear from him, we assumed his unit was overrun, we thought he was dead. This partisan knew Mykola, and was pleased to find out that he came from our village. Out of loyalty and love for my Lida I made sure grain and bread would be delivered to these men in the hope that Mykola would survive and the partisans would stay out of the village. LIEUTENANT How much does Lida know? TARAS Not much, only that Mykola is alive. LIEUTENANT Does she know about these men?

TARAS No. LIEUTENANT Good. The Lieutenant opens his cigarette case and hands a smoke to Taras. Scholz is very relaxed and pleased, demonstrating a demeanor of a magnanimous king. LIEUTENANT This is what is going to happen Taras. You will continue to trap. Provide these men with grain and bread if you can. We will make sure you are not bothered. You will make enquiries about this group, find out as much as you can without, naturally, giving yourself away. Then you will report to me the information you have gathered. Understood? TARAS Yes. LIEUTENANT You don’t need to ask what will happen if you do not do as you are told. TARAS But the last time the men did not come. I don’t know why, they might have grown suspicious or have been killed. LIUTENANT That would gravely jeopardize your position then. Besides, I would have known if these men were exterminated. They will come. Now tell me more about the grain delivery.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT Taras is back home and praying zealously. He is on his knees facing an icon corner in which a single candle is lit and methodically crossing himself. MONTAGE - VARIOUS

INT. VILLAGE SCHOOLHOUSE - DAY: Lieutenant Scholz sits at a desk and by a light of a kerosene lamp examines reports. INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT: Lida is sitting by a candle light and sewing a decorative pattern on a white cloth. She is humming a bitter tune and occasionally gazes out of the window she is seated next to. EXT. FOREST - DAY:

Partisans in the forest are sitting by a dug out, from which smoke is coming out of, and eating. EXT. POW CAMP -DAY: Our POW is standing huddled among a group of men in a barbed wired and fenced-in square. It is cold and the emaciated prisoners are trying to stay warm from each other’s body heat. INT. VILLAGE SCHOOLHOUSE - NIGHT: Lieutenant Scholz puts down his papers, signs one, and puts it in a special folder. Then he relaxes in his chair.

EXT. FOREST - DAY: The partisans stop eating, and listen, they hear an airplane flying overhead. They scramble and put out the fire inside, take cover and hide. The NOISE of a plane grows louder, and the plane passes overhead. INT. VILLAGE SCHOOLHOUSE - NIGHT: Lieutenant Scholz gets up from his desk, puts on his hat and coat and turns out the lamp.

EXT. FOREST - DAY: The partisans are resuming their normal activity after the aerial scare, all seems well. Then barking of dogs is heard! The men begin to gather and rush out, when one of them falls: hit by a bullet in the throat. The rest of the men get in fighting positions, but they are too late. Bullets begin to fly and we see bullet traces all over. The partisans are ambushed and exterminated.

EXT. POW CAMP - DAY: Our POW begins to close his eyes, like he is falling asleep, then opens them, but the lids are heavy and they close again, he falls asleep. Then with closed eyes he falls to the ground. He is motionless.

END MONTAGE

BACK TO SCENE: Taras’s house, he is still praying. Our gaze slowly drifts from the praying Taras to the icon corner, in which is a picture of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. Taras stands up, walks to the corner, removes the icon from its rightful and traditional place. V.O God forgive this sinner for his transgressions.

And puts out the candle with his fingers.

CUT TO: EXT. GARDEN PLOT – DAY A hoe is raking dry grey ground: Lida is cultivating the flourishing family garden. It is warm and beautiful outside. The Lieutenant is walking by, he smiles at her. She timidly smiles back, a shy but an approving smile. Taras walks behind Scholz. The Lieutenant opens the door for Taras, he enters, the German keeps on watching Lida. Then after a pause he enters the house.

Lida is still smiling, but is looking down at the ground which she is hoeing.

CUT TO: EXT. GARDEN PLOT – DAY The plot looks quite unwell, dilapidated. More like a wasteland than a previously green paradise.

TITLE CARD OVER IMAGE:

Chapter 3 The Changing of the Guard

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE – DAY Germans are hurriedly moving about, gathering supplies. We see a group of Germans run into a house and leave with foodstuffs, a peasant woman runs out after the men, yelling. One of the Germans turns around and shoots her, displaying that murder has become no more troublesome for him than swatting an annoying fly. General chaos in the village, a frenzy of survival.

The dead body of the shot peasant lies in the street.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT The Lieutenant is hurriedly gathering documents and papers and stuffing them into a leather case. Lida, scared, is sitting by the window and peeking outside and then back at the Lieutenant.

Having gathered his belongings, the Lieutenant walks up to Lida, touches her face gently, she looks at him.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE – NIGHT The frenzy has not subsided, German maneuvers and aimless running of soldiers and an occasional villager in the street.

CUT TO: INT. SCHOOLHOUSE – NIGHT Taras, who still looking like a peasant, but dressed in much nicer and cleaner clothing is rummaging through document drawers and gathering papers. The Lieutenant runs in, places his leather case on the desk and pulls out some papers and gives them to Taras. Taras, standing behind a desk, quickly looks through them, pulls out some and throws them in the pile of the documents he has pulled. Taras is standing behind the desk, facing the German.

Taras speaks in broken German: LIEUTENANT No, those go in the other pile. TARAS Yes, of course, I will move them. LIEUTENANT Do it now. TARAS I will.

LIEUTENANT I said now! TARAS No need to shout like a wild animal. LIEUTENANT Who do you think you are talking to? Taras makes up his mind, and looks up decisively at Scholz. TARAS A scared German.

LIEUTENANT Is that what you think I am? TARAS Oh, I can think of a lot more words to describe you. LIUETENANT So, here we are: that is how you treat me now, after what I’ve done for you.

TARAS I’ve done your bidding long enough. The Lieutenant sits down in a chair in front of the desk, facing Taras. LIEUTENANT I see. Now that we are leaving you think your secrets will be kept safe? And you will be the man in charge, have all the power? TARAS I think finally I will be free from you, your errands, I will sleep at night. Being in charge, I never thought of it. LIEUTENANT You will, Taras. Once you’ve tasted it, you will. It’s like a drink or cigarette: you want more. And when you do not possess it you will do whatever it takes to get it. If I let you, that is. TARAS I think I finally understand you. LIEUTENANT I don’t think you do. TARAS You came here with promises of land and freedom, guised yourself as the deliverer while you sucked our blood, my blood. For what? Power? LIEUTENANT I gave you life, saved Lida from humiliation. I even gave you this post. TARAS You slept in my home, had me betray my countrymen, supporting your murderous ways, I am not proud of what I did, but I did it to stay alive, and God knows I will pay a price. But you are much worse, and you will burn for this.

LIEUTENANT Taras, you did what you did out fear, there is no shame in that. But you are not thinking about the future: think about my replacement. And I will be replaced. Will he be much better? You welcomed us with open arms, did you not? But now I am your enemy? No. You are a simple man, you will see my largesse unfortunately only after I am gone. TARAS Maybe, but I will not be somebodies’ plaything. LIEUTENANT Oh, you will, you were born to be molded, molded and used. But your stubborn and backward nature does not allow you to be sculpted by expert hands. You will be cut by a chisel of a brute and he will turn you into what he wants. That is where we failed you Taras, I was too soft. Your lot requires a much firmer hand. He opens his holster and pulls out his pistol, cocks it. Taras backs away a little from the desk. The Lieutenant spins the pistol around, gazing at it rhetorically, then gives it one good long look, puts the safety on and puts it back in his holster. LIEUTENANT You burn those papers, if you wish, either way you will lose.

He stands up with a disgusted face and picks up his leather case and begins to leave. Furious, Taras walks out from his desk and up to the German. The Lieutenant turns around and faces Taras, a little surprised he opens his mouth to speak but Taras deftly sticks a knife in the belly of the German. The Lieutenant grabs the hand with the blade, Taras pushes the blade in further drawing himself closer to the German. TARAS Bastard.

Taras pulls the bloody knife out of the stomach of the German, and Scholz falls to the floor: dead.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE – NIGHT The chaos in the street is quieting down. An occasional dark shadow dashes across the nighttime village street.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT Taras storms into his house; he is Crazed! Through the open door we hear initial noises of a growing panic outside.

TARAS Lida! Lida! Lida walks up to her father. Seeing that he is covered in soot and blood, she becomes worried. LIDA Father, what happened? Are you hurt? TARAS I’m fine. Pack your things. He walks into his room and begins to pack.

CUT TO: INT. SCHOOLHOUSE FLASHBACK - NIGHT After the murder, the fury is gone from Taras’s face. He quickly becomes anxious and disillusioned. He moves to the desks and begins to shuffle with the papers, then stops and eyes the corpse.

The pristine Nazi uniform is stained with blood, the once handsome officer who was in total control looks like a slaughtered pig: a dead bloody mess on a wooden floor.

The wooden floor begins to form a pool of blood around the dead body.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT LIDA You are covered in blood. Did someone hurt you?

TARAS I’m fine. Don’t worry about it, come, hurry, get your things. LIDA Did someone hurt you in the street? I saw what is going on out there. Now that the Germans are packing, they think they can behave like pigs, worse, thieves. TARAS Lida, don’t make me repeat myself.

LIDA Where are we going? Are we going with the Germans? TARAS No. LIDA Good. Then why do we have to leave? For how long? TARAS I will explain along the way?

LIDA Father, you can tell me what happened. Did a German attack you, those privates behave like wild dogs. TARAS Yes, yes a private attacked me, like a rabid dog, you are right they need to be kept in line.

CUT TO: INT. SCHOOLHOUSE FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Taras moves some furniture. He then bolts the door shut, grabs the feet of the Lieutenant’s corpse and drags him away from the door and closer to the desk. Then he takes the kerosene lamp and smashes it on the documents. The papers and the desk soon catch on fire.

Taras, slowly opens the door, peeks outside, then quietly and decisively rushes out into the night. We watch the fire burn and grow.

CUT TO: EXT. BURNING VILLAGE – NIGHT The Germans largely ignore the houses becoming engulfed in flames, having gathered their supplies long before the fire, they proceed to move out in an organized fashion. Villagers are beginning to panic, some are attempting to put the fire out.

CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE HOUSE – NIGHT LIDA You don’t need to worry, tell Scholz about this matter, he will take care of it. He is good to us. TARAS Damn it Lida. I don’t want you to talk about that that son of a bitch again; now shut it and get your things. LIDA What do you mean again, he is not leaving?

TARAS No, he is not. LIDA Why, what happened? You can tell me, please? Taras grabs her by the shoulders, like a doll. And looks squarely into her eyes. LIDA No more questions, understood? Now go and gather your things. Go!

Lida is shaken and begins to become quite anxious. And starts to gather some things, while Taras is running around frantically. Then Lida stops. LIDA I will not run. Not until you tell me what happened.

TARAS Stupid girl, I don’t have time for this foolishness. LIDA I said I will not move until you tell me why we are running. TARAS Shut up. LIDA No. Enough. I cannot take this sneaking around anymore. I need to know what is going on. I deserve to know why we have to run out in the night like… thieves, or like those Germans. TARAS If you only knew. LIDA Knew what, father? They don’t sneak around in the night, and leave only to return with some news, news that they keep private.

TARAS News of what Lida? You cannot say his name now? Now that you laid your eyes on that Lieutenant? Lida ignores her father’s retort, and goes off on a tangent. LIDA I don’t know if he is alive, but I wait and keep quiet, while you sneak right under the noses of the Germans. What would happen if they knew? How could I not be nice to that Lieutenant? That is the only way…

TARAS You stupid girl. If you only knew what I risk. For you, for this village. LIDA Is that why we are running now? TARAS Yes Lida, that is why, now go get your things!

LIDA So you can tell me now, actually say it, he is alive or… TARAS He is dead, Lida. That is why we have to run. This hits Lida hard, even though she suspected it, hearing it spoken is quite a blow. LIDA Oh. You knew all this time?

TARAS No, I didn’t know. The German is dead Lida, that is why we have to go. Lida is even more confused and despondent. LIDA What happened to him? TARAS You really want to know? Lida nods nervously.

TARAS I’ll tell you what happened: I stabbed that son of a bitch right in the gut and watched him die right in front of me! Taras mimics the stabbing motion with quite some hatred. I’ve had it with this noose around my neck Lida; it’s been too long. Growing tighter and tighter, being scared of this and scared of that. I want to live without being someone’s dog.

Lida smacks him. LIDA You killed him, because I liked him, I, your daughter, liked a German who was living in your house. The gossip that went around, you couldn’t stand it, so you waited for the perfect moment to put an end to it.

TARAS You are a stupid, selfish girl. This has nothing to do with you. He grabs her by the hand and drags her out of the house.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE STREET A furiously crazed Taras holds Lida and in the distance a fire rages. TARAS You see, now. You think I would do this for you? I would burn my own village because of some gossip? No Lida. This is for us, for all of us. Lida, stunned, looks at Taras, shakes her head, yanks her hand free and runs towards the fire and the villagers who are attempting to put it out.

CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE – NIGHT The villagers are running in a half craze, some pulling things out of homes, others trying to put the fire out. A peasant clutches a goose as he runs aimlessly. We watch the chaos and the fire burn the village in real-time.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BURNED OUT VILLAGE –DAY A scene of destruction by fire. Nearly the entire village lies in burned out ruins. Soviet tanks and infantry roll into the village as smoke still rises from some of the burned piles.

The Soviets clutch peasant children and give them and the begging peasants some food.

CUT TO: EXT. BURNED OUT HOUSE PILE - DAY Lida, covered in black ash but still looking pretty, is sitting on a pile of burned rubble. A Soviet medic soldier runs up to her and begins to examine her, she is quite listless.

In the distance we see Taras, whose house along with some others has not been destroyed by the fire, Taras is standing by it and looking on at his daughter and the scene. Cut to: Taras who turns away from the scene and walks back into his house, closing the door behind him. Lida looks directly at the Soviet medic, and gives a little smile; he reciprocates as he goes about bandaging her.

CUT TO: EXT. OLD WW II MONUMENT – DAY It is a warm, sunny spring day. A bird is sitting and chirping on a branch. It flies away. The CAMERA MOVES AWAY from the tree to a decrepit Soviet WW II Monument. The Monument is abandoned amid tall, unkempt grass in a nameless town. Out of frame SOUNDS OF CARS, BUSSES, and PLAYING CHILDREN are heard. We move, “CREEP,” closer to the monument. As we get close, C.U. of a wrinkled old hand placing flowers at the base of the monument very gently and then the hand moves away. We linger at the image of the lone flowers at the monument for a few seconds, and then:

FADE TO BLACK

THE END

Annotated Bibliography

On organization: first I provide a brief summary/description of a text. This is followed by a description of how I used or was influenced by a given text.

Stephen Norris and Zara Torlone, Insiders and Outsiders in Russian Cinema (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008).

This edited volume is based on a series of lectures delivered at Miami University on insiders and outsiders in Soviet and Russian cinema. Argument: Soviet cinema employed concepts of an outsider and insider to make a didactic statement(s) about the national direction to audiences; but it proved to be difficult to clearly articulate and was not always clear (xii). Film was an important medium through which Soviet citizens could learn who was an insider and who was not. Excluding others to identify one’s group is a modern concept and cinema fits this mold. Soviets could learn by watching movies about who belonged in the system and who did not. This way of defining a nation through cinematic cues of exclusion or inclusion was adopted by the Russian state. But this was not always bad, for such films allowed audiences to question stereotypes and were not always successful.

I used the text in the following way: The film makes a statement about Ukrainians; they are generally outside of the Soviet/Russian system; they are on the periphery (Ukraine means on the border). In fact, everyone on Ukrainian soil is an outsider. The Germans are invaders. The partisans are mostly Russian but are an ambiguous roaming force comprised of soldiers of broken up Red Army units. Of course the Ukrainian peasants are insiders of their own land, but their national stance is unclear (they mostly care about their farm land not lofty ideals). The only “insider” during the film is a Ukrainian POW who is imprisoned and thus is trapped. The invasion will ultimately result in a unifying experience, and whether this will be a positive or negative experience I leave to be decided by the viewer, especially in light of current events. Ukrainian nationalism becomes defined through an interaction with the outside, invading force. The German occupation loosely follows Dante’s Inferno (that is why we first meet Taras wandering in a dark forest and his companion, the horse he finds, is called Lev by the boys, which means lion in Russian). Out of this hell, the Ukrainian nation, symbolized by Taras and his improved position in the village, will enter the Soviet post-war purgatory and will unite and become an insider of the Soviet system (see Weiner’s section for more). Since the Ukrainians and Russians suffered so acutely during the war, this passage through the hell brought on by the Nazi invasion will be a bonding experience and bring Ukraine inside the fold. For example, Krym will be given to Ukraine in a symbolic gesture soon after the war. And Stalin’s “excesses” which had quite an impact on Ukraine and Ukrainian peasants will be renounced. But as the text suggests, the binary of belonging was never simple, and many Ukrainians and others who lived under German occupation were shunned and excluded by the Soviet regime. So, I left Taras in a precarious and ambiguous situation, he is left in a position of power after the Germans leave, but will he be able to exercise or enjoy it under the Soviets is dubious; as the Lieutenant argues, he will most likely be used by the Soviets. So Taras does not engage the Soviets and simply locks himself in his house, away from the outside world, a world that caused so much despair.

Karel Berkhoff, Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine Under Nazi Rule (Mass: Belknap of arvard University Press, 2004).

The text is based on themes, and each chapter is devoted to exploring life in occupied Ukraine, the Reichskommissariat Ukraine. Argument: “The Nazi regime in the “East” was driven by the Nazi conviction that Ukraine was…a clean slate for the German people” (306). Collaboration and individualistic sense of survival was quite prevalent, although there was some unity: “mortal dangers of Nazi rule, the conduct of many natives in positions of…authority, human nature in general, and the legacy of socialism all combined to inhibit solidarity” (309). The Ukrainian “mental and political orientation remained profoundly stagnant. It is likely that this mental stasis served as one more factor in limiting the scale of resistance and solidarity” (313). Here, Bekhoff disagrees with Weiner (see below for his point). The Nazis came with promises of disbanding the collective farm system. Many peasants bought into it for they despised the Soviet system. The Germans allowed the Ukrainians to farm their garden plots and quality of life in the villages improved. But eventually the Germans perfected the collective farming system, and peasants became slaves and suffered much abuse and outright violence. The savage violence was present in Ukraine, even though the Ukrainians were seen to be not as bad as the Russians by the Nazis. The Nazis made the Ukrainians “witness public beatings or executions; the happy music during sad occasions…” (309) and peasants were beaten for not working (133). Of course there was the holocaust and exterminations of other minorities, which cannot be ignored. In general, Berkhoff makes the point that the Ukrainian dislike of the Soviet system made them ignore the mass murders and collaborate with the Nazi regime. The Ukrainians were almost directionless and seized the opportunity for a better life, which the Nazis promised but ultimately failed to deliver. As the title suggests, Ukrainian history or the 20th century is one of despair.

I used many specific details from this text. Namely, propaganda posters and their rhetoric of hatred for the Soviets and disbanding the collective farms was used to compile the speech by a Nazi officer to the villagers as Soviet collaborators were being hung. That the peasants had to witness this and listen to jovial music is taken from the text. In addition, the shout from a guard and scenes in the POW camp were gleaned from this text. The jovial atmosphere, a literal and metaphorical dance between the Nazis and the Ukrainian peasants, was inspired by the text: the montage of death and the holocaust. Unfortunately the Ukrainian peasants like Taras and especially Lida, who does very little in the script, were powerless in the grand scheme of things. But I challenge this notion somewhat by having Taras make heavy decisions in dire circumstances. Having suffered first from the collectivization campaign and then the Nazi occupation, Taras’s outlook most likely will become much sterner and that is why he ignores the Soviet troops in the end; it is unlikely that anything positive will come from the outside world.

Amir Weiner, Making Sense of War: The Second World War and the Fate of the Bolshevik Revolution (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001).

This is a very convoluted text, and from my understanding it is arguing that, based on the Southwestern Ukrainian example, the Soviet Union switched its rhetoric of identity with class conflict (and thus Marxism) to a more nationalistic identity, which was fostered by the tragic and heroic war experience. On its journey to nationalize the periphery, in this case Vinnystsia, the Soviets (or the Soviet political machine, which is never really defined, thus the author favors the totalitarian model) excised unfavorable elements and in the process removed the holocaust from the Soviet war memory. It seems, based on the text, that the Soviets were following the 30s purge mentality in the new expanded territories of the USSR during after WW II. Berkhoff’s point about a stagnant national identity clashes with Weiner, who sees Ukrainians excepting and becoming part of the Soviet national fold, Berkhoff disagrees with the point made by Weiner that “The influence of the Red Army veterans consolidated a consciousness that was both Ukrainian and Soviet” (Harvest, 312). Since my script focuses on memory and conception of identities, I found chapter six in Weiner’s text the most useful. Chapter six describes how and why the Ukrainian peasants in western Ukraine identified with the Soviet nation. First, Ukrainian nationhood would be predominantly rural and peasant based, for it was believed that the Ukrainian peasant “preserved its ethnic, religious, and linguistic purity” (298). The peasants, or kulaks, that remained in positions of power under the Germans would not lose their posts (303). The national course charted by the Soviets in Ukraine has two underlying reasons. The first was that Soviets had made significant progress in the region before the outbreak of the war (307-309). Weiner argues that before the war, “the peasants viewed themselves and their surroundings through Soviet-tinted glasses” (313). But most importantly it was the returning veterans who successfully carried out the Sovietization of the countryside (314). Returning soldiers, peasants who previously were largely removed from the Soviet myth, became Soviet heroes and connected to Soviet identity. These returnees would instill Soviet loyalty in the countryside. As such, Weiner argues for a successful national integration of Ukraine into a “Soviet” identity. Berkhoff disagrees, and based on current troubles in the region, it seems that Weiner was not completely correct.

As mentioned above chapter six is useful for my script because it comments on Taras’s outlook. Having no way out, Taras was obliged to cooperate with the Germans and rise in the ranks. He found himself in a relative position of power. He refutes power, but the German Lieutenant concedes that now he has no choice but to embrace it and, moreover, will choose to embrace it. As we see, it is unclear whether Taras chooses to remain in power and accept the Soviet national myth, which is signaled by the arrival of the Red Army. With the arrival of the Soviet forces, it is unlikely that the Soviets would let the village, and by extension Ukraine, chart its national course. Taras wants to flee this situation, not certain where. He does not wish to become part of the national myth. His ambiguity is indicative of the present split in Ukrainian national consciousness. Taras’s unclear position is my argument against the clean version of national solidarity presented by Weiner. As Weiener suggests, and I demonstrate this by tying Taras to the captured Soviet soldier, Ukranian villages, despite their yearning for more autonomy, were tethered to the Soviet historical course through wartime conscription. Thus, even though Taras wants to flee, his plan will prove to be unfruitful because he cares for his daughter (the female is a symbol for the

Ukranian land) who is more directly tied to the Soviet state: her fiancé is a Red Army soldier. And not knowing whether this soldier lived or died, moves Taras to stay put and wait in uncertainty. Thus he turns his back on the arrival of Soviet power in the form of the Red Army and leaves for the relative comfort and familiarity of his home. While his daughter accepts their help and quietly welcomes the arrival of the Soviet forces. Lastly, Weiner’s argument about the Sovietazation of Ukraine is mildly accepted by me but altered a little. The last scene at the monument, which is a Soviet war monument and not a Ukrainian one, demonstrates the national imposition was from above rather than an organic open arm welcome of Soviet power by the Ukrainians.

Aleksandr Diukov, Vtorosteppenyi Vrag: OUN, UPA i Reshenie “Evreiskogo Voprosa” (Moscow: Regnum, 2008).

Diukov examines the role of the genocidal activities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) during World War II. Recently, the Ukrainian leadership has denied the role of these forces in the Holocaust, and even awarded the leader of UPA, Roman Shukhevich, the title “Hero of Ukraine” in 2007 (6-7). Disturbed by this, Diukov seeks to explore the activities of the organization in the extermination of the Jews. The historiography on the topic is split into two camps. One denies the genocidal activities of the organizations while the other does not (10). The reason for the divide, before the archival revolution of the 90s, was because research was mostly based on memoirs, which either upheld the genocidal activities of the organizations or denied them (10). The author comes to the conclusion that recent studies have turned out to be unproductive (19). Diukov’s text is a stance against the Ukrainian revisionist who remove the blame for genocidal atrocities from the Ukrainian nationalists. Argument: the newly created OUN did not have a clearly formulated position on the “Jewish question” (89-90). But by the mid-1930s the ambivalent and sometimes positive attitude towards the Jews began to change within the organization toward a more negative and eventually an anti-Semitic position (90). The genocidal practices were planned to be wrapped up after the war and Poles and Russians were to be assimilated (91). But the organizations did not only target Jews and Soviets, other ethnic minorities were targets of violence (93). Both organizations possessed a protocol for the elimination of Jews, Soviets, and other undesirables in the event of a Nazi invasion. As the Nazis invaded Ukraine, both organizations moved to carry out their plans for racial purity (90-91). Based on archival research, Diukov found that not only the nationalist organizations and Ukrainian police participated in genocide but even peasants and the urban population were active in committing racial atrocities (91).

My script largely skips over the issue of genocide because it is a complex topic that deserves to be explored in full on its own. However, I am just as disturbed by the nationalistic rhetoric in Ukraine as Diukov. My montage, in the Crimson Light chapter, demonstrates the clear connection and full out support of the Ukrainian peasants in the genocide of the Jews and other minorities. The masses of people who are murdered are not presented with an ethnicity in the script because the genocide in Ukraine did not only target the Jews, but also Poles, Soviets, and others. It would be unfair to privilege one group’s suffering, even if it was more numerous and hideous. Genocide is presented in an ambiguous but brutally violent form that places blame on

76 the Nazis and the witting and unwitting Ukrainians in the script. Thus, I take a stance against the current political, nationalistic rhetoric in Ukraine.

Catherine Merridale, Ivan’s War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945 (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006).

Merridale’s text aims to fill the gap in the historiography of WW II by presenting the experiences of the Soviet soldier (4). The text debunks the Western myth of a Soviet soldier: there was no single Soviet soldier but a vast number of diverse groups of people (14). The Soviets did not fight for Stalin, fear, or ideology; most likely they fought for their fellow soldier (15-16). If the exploratory text has a main argument, it is that the war transformed the largely rural population of the Soviet soldiers into proud, travelled, heroes of a nascent great world power, a world power which they helped to construct and defend (21-22). The positive picture aside, Merridale fully delves into the cruelty of war and its atrocities. A secondary argument of the text is that the Soviets were pushed to commit many wartime atrocities not only because their people suffered at the hands of the Germans and soldiers sought vengeance, but because the state encouraged it though propaganda (312). Merridale also argues that the amount of Red Army losses was caused by poor management and planning, and a disregard for human life by the leadership.

Merridale’s superb text was the general inspiration for the script. I wanted to ground the complex historical setting of occupied Ukraine during WWII by presenting a common, individualistic experience. Merridale focuses on the Red Army during WWII, particularly the impact of war on an individual soldier. Their experiences triumphs, and crimes are all reported. I wished to follow a similar path but one filled more with more emotional content, which a movie script provides. For me history is more than just an implication of theoretical concepts or an interesting story of the past, or a way to better comprehend the present. History is a tool to make one truly feel deep emotions and, hopefully, better understand the complexities and contradictions of the human condition.

Filmography

Hunger. Blu-Ray. Directed by Steve McQueen. 2008; United Kingdom, Ireland: The Criterion Collection, 2008. The structure and flow of this film was the general inspiration for how I structured Part I of the script. For most of Part I there is little dialogue and most of the scenes convey a mood. But the resolving scene is the long dialogue towards the end much like it is in Hunger. In McQueen’s film the long dialogue scene consists of Bobby Sands describing to the priest why he chose to go on a hunger strike. This scene demonstrates the commitment of Sands to the cause. In my script the long dialogue unearths the complex allegiances of Taras and demonstrates, therefore, the post-war relations of the Ukrainians to the German occupation and Soviet dominance of their land.

Mad Men. “The Doorway.” Episode 1 and 2. Directed by Scott Hornbacher. Written by Matthew Weiner. AMC, April 7, 2013. I had trouble conceptualizing how to write about such a difficult topic as war and occupation. So I remembered the Mad Men episode, The Doorway, and how loosely it followed Dante’s Inferno and decided that such an approach would provide me with a solid guideline for describing a difficult, hellish situation. This episode was the major structural inspiration for part II of the script.

Ballad of a Soldier. DVD. Directed by Grigori Chukhrai. 1959; Soviet Union: The Criterion Collection. And The Cranes are Flying. DVD. Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. 1957; Soviet Union: The Criterion Collection. The camera direction that was specifically written into the script was largely inspired by the camera work in these two iconic Soviet New Wave films. In Ballad the camera spins upside down when the Soviet protagonist’s world is in chaos: he is being chased by a German tank, and in Cranes the chaos and frenzy is shown by spinning a camera around a staircase. These are just some examples that inspired me to write in a spinning camera as a chaotic, almost unreal connection from part I to part I and the spiraling out of control morals during the holocaust montage. Though these moves were pioneered long ago, they are still useful and aesthetically appropriate ways to visually describe disorder, and are an homage to an important cinematic development in the USSR and elsewhere.

Come and See. DVD. Directed by Elem Klimov. 1985; Soviet Union: Kino Video. This film helped me to visually and emotionally conceptualize the horror of occupation. Come and See takes place in Belarus but was still useful for the German racist and terribly violent approach to the Slavic race. The dread, fear, helplessness, and the overall horror of the occupation in part II of the script were largely inspired by the portrayal of German occupation in Klimov’s Come and See.

Fish Tank. Blu-Ray. Directed by Andrea Arnold. 2009; United Kingdom: The Criterion Collection. This movie, a coming of age story in contemporary council housing in the U.K. might seem as an odd inspirational choice for a film about the Ukrainian experience of the German occupation. But truthfully almost anything I’ve ever watched has some way or another left an imprint upon my mind. Arnold’s film displays the impoverished life of a teenager growing up in a council estate in England, and the viewer follows her transformation into an uncertain adulthood. Similarly, part I of the script is a coming of age tale: the child grows closer to understanding the moral complexities of being a grown-up. Arnold showed a teen coming into a world that is not at all pleasant and can readily take advantage of the unwitting. This inspired me to follow a child’s realization about the complex national allegiances and thus contradicting identities of his village and nation. In addition to this theme, when writing the entire script, I visualized it in terms of Fish Tank’s cinematography. Arnold’s film has a claustrophobic feel to it—the film is shot in 1.33:1 aspect ratio—but while capturing the poverty and not romanticizing it, Fish Tank still manages to convey ordinary beauty quite well. And this is how I envisioned the film to look as I wrote the script: possibly threatening and uncertain, and at the same time always capturing the rich natural beauty of the countryside and its inhabitants in rich tones.