A 1981 Ukrainian film based on a century-old play is gaining unexpected traction with international audiences this holiday season.”Lesia Song,” also known as “Mavka,” offers a stark departure from typical festive fare, drawing viewers in with its dark, poetic adaptation of Slavic folklore. The film, and a more recent 2023 animated retelling, “Mavka: The Forest Guardian,” are sparking conversation about the enduring power of mythology and a uniquely Slavic aesthetic seldom seen on the global stage.
Who would have predicted a 1980s Soviet film would dominate the holiday season? While audiences braced for another viewing of classics like “Three Nuts for Cinderella,” a dark and enchanting Slavic fairytale has captivated viewers with its unique and compelling story.
Every year, the holiday movie lineup feels predictable. “Three Nuts for Cinderella,” “The Proud Princess” – the same beloved films play on repeat. But this year, something unexpected has emerged, and audiences are loving it. It’s a film from the eighties that, until recently, most people had never seen. Those who have discovered it are calling it a truly unforgettable cinematic experience, something missing from other holiday titles.
“Lesia Song,” or “Mavka” from 1981, has surprised audiences so much that it’s become one of the most talked-about films of the holiday season. The film’s unexpected success demonstrates the enduring appeal of folklore and fairytale narratives.
Forget Dancing Dwarfs and Happy Endings
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This is dark poetry drawn from Slavic myths. The story follows Mavka, a forest nymph, who falls in love with a young man named Lukash, but their love is threatened by the divide between nature and civilization. The film features creatures from our legends, such as water sprites, mermaids, will-o’-the-wisps, and forest spirits. It’s everything familiar from Czech fairytales, but presented in a darker, more raw way.
Director Yuriy Ilyenko crafted a visual poem. Each shot looks like a painting come to life.
The film is based on a play by Ukrainian author Lesya Ukrainka, written in 1911. She wrote it during a difficult time, while battling tuberculosis. She herself wrote in a letter: “A whirlwind of images keeps me awake at night, tormenting me like a new illness.”
The play didn’t premiere until after the author’s death, in 1918 at a Kyiv theater. Since then, it has become a popular classic and has been adapted many times. Audiences have seen operas, films, and modern animations. “Lesia Song” is considered a pinnacle of Ukrainian dramatic work.
Beauty That Astonishes
When all the fairytales start to look the same, this comes along. There are no bright costumes, no cheerful songs, and no happy ending. Ilyenko directed and filmed the movie himself, and the result is stunning. You’re watching moving paintings where costumes blend with nature and the characters seem to be part of the forest.
It’s not a Russian film, as some might assume. It’s a Ukrainian film rooted in our shared Slavic heritage. Mavka, the main character, is a creature found in Slavic legends. She is most often seen as a fairy or a forest spirit.
The water sprite has a daughter, Rusalka, who lures people to their deaths by drowning. Will-o’-the-wisps lead people astray, the forest man guards the trees, and Ohnivets courts Mavka.
Mavka’s Tragic Story
Mavka lives in a willow tree in the middle of the forest and one day hears Lukash playing the flute. She falls so deeply in love that she leaves her world, puts on human clothes and tries to live among mortals, longing for an eternal love. Lukash loves her just as strongly, but his mother has other plans. She wants a practical wife who can manage a household, not a forest nymph.
She therefore pushes her son into marriage with a widow, Kylina, and Mavka suddenly faces a choice: return to the forest and survive, or stay with Lukash and pay for it with her life? The ending will bring you to tears, it’s not a happy one, but it’s also powerful and beautiful.
An Animated Version for Younger Viewers
In 2023, an animated adaptation, “Mavka: The Forest Guardian,” was released. Ukrainian creators produced a contemporary take on the same story, with an emphasis on ecology. The animation is more accessible to children and has a lighter tone. However, it preserves the core themes of the love between a fairy and a human, the conflict between nature and greed, and the need for balance.
While watching, you’ll likely be reminded of Dvořák’s “Rusalka.” The story is almost identical, a water nymph falls in love with a prince, leaves her world, and it ends badly. Or you might recall childhood folk tales about fairies and mermaids.
The play “Lesia Song” was published in Czech as early as 1919 and again in the 1950s, so the story isn’t entirely unknown. The film just arrived here a little later.
Sources: cs.wikipedia.org, csfd.cz, cs.wikipedia.org
