Movie Details
Movie Budget:$58,400
Original Language:Ukrainian
Production Companies:Ukrainian State Film Agency
Myth Quotes
From Opera to Hero: A Mythical Journey
Quotes:
The documentary film about his life is titled Myth and interestingly the title is a play on words. In Ukrainian, the word is “Mif”, which is also the nom de guerre that Slipak took on when he went into combat. It was the shortened form in Ukrainian of Mephistopheles, his favourite operatic role in his stint with the Paris opera. Ironically it symbolically reflects his real-life transition from an operatic hero to a tragic real life hero. The film is not your standard documentary of a war hero, nor does it indulge in a hagiographic interpretation of his life. It avoids idolizing Slipak, showing a man who, though a world class talent with a penchant for sacrifice and heroism, was still very human, and at times prone to mischief and self-indulgence. When he left Paris to go fight the Russians in the Donbas, he not only abandoned his promising operatic career, but also broke the heart of a woman with whom he had a deep love affair. In many ways he was larger than life, and to more normal humans like myself, it can be hard to understand the motivations and passions that drove him to do what he did. Heroes are often enigmatic creatures, driven to do extraordinary things by an inspiration that transcends standard human reality. Whatever the case, there can be little doubt that Slipak’s extraordinary life story is worthy of literary and artistic treatment. It is a story that is rapidly and deservingly evolving into the realm of mythology, both in Ukraine and in the diaspora. The great American expert on mythology, Joseph Campbell developed the concept of “the hero’s journey” as a process of “following your bliss”, and Slipak’s own heroic journey towards becoming a myth is a good reflection of this ideal. As Campbell once said, “When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves, and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” (2018)
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Reflections on Heroism and Collective Resilience
Quotes:
It was hard to watch the movie. Sometimes you feel that your heart is breaking. But we have to live on and to rethink everything that has happened to us, as a society. The story of heroism and self-sacrifice makes everyone think over their own lives. After each such death we lose part of our self, however, such documentaries make us stronger. The cinema was packed and the viewers – mostly Kharkiv activists, volunteers and soldiers – were standing in the aisles as well to see the film. (2018)
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
