Ukraine Is Not a Brothel
{{short description|2013 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ukraine Is Not a Brothel
| image = File:FEMEN Ukraine is not a brothel.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Femen protest
| director = Kitty Green
| producer = Jonathan auf der Heide
Kitty Green
Michael Latham
| writer =
| narrator =
| music = Zoe Barry
Jed Palmer
| cinematography = Michael Latham
| editing = Kitty Green
| studio = Noise & Light
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|df=yes|2013|09|04|70th Venice International Film Festival}}
| runtime = 78 minutes
| country = Australia
| language =
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Ukraine Is Not a Brothel is a 2013 Australian documentary film directed by Kitty Green. The film debuted at the 70th Venice International Film Festival, although it was not part of the competition. The documentary concerns the FEMEN (Фемен) movement, a feminist protest group originating from Ukraine.{{citation|last=Green|first=Kitty|title=Ukraine Is Not a Brothel|date=2016-03-08|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3136842/|others=Inna Shevchenko, Sasha Shevchenko, Anna Hutsol|access-date=2017-12-12}}
Content
The film is a documentary on the activities of FEMEN, a Ukrainian feminist movement known for topless protests. The filmmaker Kitty Green{{cite web
| url =https://cjfe.org/resources/features/ukraine-not-brothel-qa-director-kitty-green
| title =Ukraine Is Not a Brothel: Q&A with director Kitty Green
| last1 =Theodorakidis
| first1 =Alexandra
| date =7 May 2014
| website = cjfe.org
| publisher =Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20141022162613/https://cjfe.org/resources/features/ukraine-not-brothel-qa-director-kitty-green
| archive-date =2014-10-22
| url-status =dead
| access-date =23 September 2014
| url =https://www.vice.com/read/we-spoke-to-kitty-green-about-her-femen-documentary-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel
| title =We Spoke to Kitty Green about her FEMEN Documentary 'Ukraine is Not a Brothel'
| last1 =Jones
| first1 =Reece
| date = 17 June 2014
| publisher = VICE United States
}} followed the activists for over a year, in Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3136842/locations|title = Ukraine is Not a Brothel (2013) - IMDb|website = IMDb}} It documents the protests and the resulting harassments and arrests{{cite news|url=http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2013/09/03/femen-se-un-uomo-comanda-le-femministe.html|title= Femen: Se un uomo comanda le femministe. Ho inventato io la protesta in topless|first=Valeria|last=Fraschetti|work=la Repubblica|date=3 September 2013|access-date=8 June 2014}} over a span of fourteen months.{{cite web
| url =http://www.spookmagazine.com/kitty-green-talks-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel/
| title =Kitty Green Talks 'Ukraine Is Not A Brothel'
| last1 =Westmore
| first1 =Garry
| date =10 June 2014
| website = spookmagazine.com
| publisher =Spook Magazine
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044643/http://www.spookmagazine.com/kitty-green-talks-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel/
| archive-date =2016-03-04
| url-status =dead
| access-date =23 September 2014
}} The film showcases the four activists who form the core of the film.{{cite news|url=http://movieplayer.it/articoli/recensione-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel_11276/|title=What is Femen?|first=Valentina|last=D'Amico|date=6 September 2013|work=Movieplayer.it|access-date=8 June 2014}}
The documentary shows Viktor Sviatsky as a driving force of the group FEMEN. He is the manipulator of all the protests and, in essence, commander of the females.{{cite news|url=http://www.ansa.it/sito/photogallery/primopiano/2014/06/07/le-femen-al-biografilm-e-tutto-cambiato_5b7545fd-0ddd-4072-ac26-0215cf8f1824.html|title=Le Femen al Biografilm, è tutto cambiato|work=:it:ANSA|date=7 June 2014|access-date=8 June 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bolognacult.it/cinema/35-cinema/629-femen-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel-al-biografilm-il-film-di-kitty-green-che-racconta-scena-e-retroscena-del-movimento-di-protesta-neofemminista.html|title=Femen - Ukraine Is Not a Brothel, al Biografilm il film di Kitty Green che racconta scena e retroscena del movimento di protesta neofemminista|work=BolognaCult|first=Giuseppe|last=Marino|date=7 June 2014|access-date=8 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006095211/http://www.bolognacult.it/cinema/35-cinema/629-femen-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel-al-biografilm-il-film-di-kitty-green-che-racconta-scena-e-retroscena-del-movimento-di-protesta-neofemminista.html|archive-date=6 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.liberation.fr/monde/2013/09/04/viktor-sviatski-un-manipulateur-dans-l-ombre-des-femen_929389
|title=Viktor Sviatski, un manipulateur dans l'ombre des Femen
|access-date=22 September 2013
| url =http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/12/femen-s-abusive-patriarch-victor-svyatski-exposed-in-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel.html
| title =Femen's Abusive Patriarch, Victor Svyatski, Exposed in 'Ukraine Is Not a Brothel'
| last1 =Stern
| first1 =Marlow
| date =2014-03-12
| publisher =THE DAILY BEAST
| access-date =22 September 2013
}}
The activists of FEMEN participated in the promotion of the documentary. They claimed that the situation in the film, i.e. under the leadership of Viktor Sviatsky, is actually part of the past, since he was ejected from the movement in 2012.{{cite web
| url =https://www.vice.com/read/talking-to-femen-about-their-shadowy-leader
| title =Femen: 'We're Not Run by Men'
| last1 =Larsson
| first1 =Milene
| date =9 September 2013
| editor =VICE
| publisher =vice.com
| access-date =23 September 2014
}}
Cast
Release
The film was screened out of competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival of Venice. At the festival photocall the activists appeared topless, as is usual for their protests{{cite news|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2013/09/04/multimedia/spettacoli/festival-di-venezia/2013/venezia-protesta-femen-in-topless-al-photocall-AuSQ7et6lAZadYeeQgn5XL/pagina.html|title=Venezia, protesta Femen in topless al photocall|work=La Stampa|date=4 September 2013|access-date=8 June 2014}}
Critical reception
Glenn Dunks{{cite news|url=http://glenndunks.com/2014/08/01/buying-and-selling-in-ukraine/|title=Buying and Selling in Ukraine |last=Dunks |first=Glenn |date=1 August 2014 }} and Christopher Schobert of The Playlist on IndieWire{{cite news |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/hot-docs-review-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel-20140430 |title=Hot Docs Review: 'Ukraine Is Not A Brothel' - The Playlist |last=Schobert |first=Christopher |work=indiewire.com |date=1 May 2014 |access-date=6 February 2015 |archive-date=22 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022110851/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/hot-docs-review-ukraine-is-not-a-brothel-20140430 |url-status=dead }} gave the film positive reviews.
=Accolades=
On 9 September 2014, Ukraine is Not a Brothel won for the Best Feature Length Documentary by Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, awarded at the 4th AACTA Awards at The Star Event Centre, Sydney, New South Wales in late January 2015{{cite news|url=http://if.com.au/2014/09/09/article/Hot-docs-for-AACTA-Awards/LIVUWONZFU.html|title=Hot docs for AACTA Awards |last=Groves |first=Don |publisher=Inside Film (IF) |date=9 September 2014|access-date=15 September 2014}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Award
! Category ! Subject ! Result |
|---|
| rowspan=10|AACTA Award (4th) |rowspan=3|Best Feature Length Documentary[http://www.aacta.org/media/252122/aacta%20award%20winners%20announced.pdf 4th AACTA Awards Winners Announced in Sydney 2015-01-29] |Jonathan auf der Heide |{{won}} |
| Michael Latham
|{{won}} |
| rowspan=3|Kitty Green
|{{won}} |
| Best Direction in a Documentary
|{{nom}} |
| Best Editing in a Documentary
|{{nom}} |
| Best Cinematography in a Documentary
|Michael Latham |{{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|Best Sound in a Documentary
|Doron Kipen |{{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|Jed Palmer
|{{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|Best Original Music Score in a Documentary
|{{nom}} |
| Zoe Barry
|{{nom}} |
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=3136842|title=Ukraine Is Not a Brothel}}
- {{cite web
| url =https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/ukraine-is-not-a-brothel-review-venice-1200608905/
| title = Venice Film Review: 'Ukraine Is Not a Brothel'
| last1 =Felperin
| first1 =Leslie
| date =12 September 2013
| publisher =Variety Media, LLC
}}
{{Kitty Green}}
Category:2013 documentary films
Category:2010s Australian films
Category:Australian documentary films
Category:Documentary films about feminism