Mamay (Ukrainian: Мамай) is a 2003 Ukrainian language film. Based on ancient Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar folklore, this is a Ukrainian version of Romeo and Juliet. A fugitive Cossack falls in love with a stunningly beautiful Tatar woman who saves him from certain death. Their love defies age-old hatred between their respective peoples. The film features cinematography by Serhiy Mykhalchuk and a soundtrack by composer Alla Zahaikevych. It was directed by Oles Sanin. Mamay was Ukraine's 2003 submission for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Mamay | |
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Ukrainian | Мамай |
Directed by | Oles Sanin |
Produced by | Maksym Asadchyi Anna Chmil Aram Gevorkyan |
Starring | Viktoria Spesivtseva Andriy Bilous Nazl Sejtablaeva Serhiy Romaniuk Oles Sanin Akhtem Seitablaev Eldar Akimov Emil Rasilov |
Cinematography | Serhiy Mykhalchuk |
Edited by | Andriy Sanin |
Running time | 80 minutes |
Country | Ukraine |
Language | Ukrainian |
Created on the basis of ancient Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar folklore. This is the Ukrainian version of Romeo and Juliet. A fugitive Cossack falls in love with a stunningly beautiful Tatar woman who saves him from imminent death.
Director Sanin wrote about the combination of three stories in the film: two epic Crimean Tatar and one invented by him — how a Tatar woman finds the youngest dying Cossack in the steppe. Brings him home, treats; falls in love with him, becomes his wife.[1]
The film's budget amounted to 280 thousand dollars (₴10,298,738).[2]
The shooting lasted only 24 days.[2] On the eve of the premiere, an agreement was signed with Golden Gate Film to distribute the film in Western film markets. This was the first such case for Ukrainian cinema."[3] Many years later, Sanin stated that Mamai was an "experiment," his thesis, which was supposed to be seen by a very narrow circle of viewers.[4]