Tomen - Colours of Life

Colour, 35mm
Ukraine, 2001, 20 min
Section: East of the West

Synopsis

Shot using collage effects and a temperamental style, this film presents Hutsul culture in its modern forms in the spirit of the versatile painter Tomen. Paintings of all genres appear here – portraits, landscapes, ornamental compositions, pastels, prints, watercolours, tapestries and woven fabrics. The film briefly outlines the origins and life of Ms Tomen who had successful exhibitions in Paris, Canada and the USA and is highly valued for having given a European dimension to her purely Hutsul artwork. The filmmaker highlights the world of rural existence (sources of folk art), in particular the natural surroundings dominated by the ubiquitous panorama of the Carpathians, with the romantic changes of the sky above the dark forests and plateaus. Other Ukrainian locations are also mentioned in more detail – the old urban architecture, the Crimean coast – natural inspiration, absorbed and re-created on canvas.

About the director

Maxim Surkov graduated from the Kiev Institute of Performing Arts – Karpenko-Karé (2002) having studied under leading Ukrainian artist O. Koval. He received a Diploma at the Kiev “Molodist” IFF for his student film Daos Is Being Watched (1998). The documentary Tomen, the Colours of Life (Tomen, kolyori zhittya) is his professional debut.