Dear ladies and gentlemen, lovers of night movies,

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who sacrificed their Saturday night and came to experience – probably the first time in Singapore – modern Ukrainian cinema.

This is my pleasure and privilege to express gratitude to the EUFF organizing committee. The special thanks I would like to extend to Marc Ungeheuer, Ambassador, Head of the European Commission Delegation in Singapore, and in particular to Waldemar Dubaniowski, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Polish Ambassador in Singapore who made possible our participation in the Festival.

I would like to use this opportunity and stress on one more “the first”. Ukrainian film for the first time participates in the EU Film Festival in Singapore. This happens half a year before Ukraine and EU are supposed to conclude the Association Agreement – the fundamental bilateral document.

It is very symbolic that thousands of kilometers from Europe we observe these integrating processes of Ukraine resuming its place in the European family. What is notable, to my mind, that here and now arts undertake the leading role in this movement!

Please note that this movie by Mykhailo Illienko, well-known in Ukraine and internationally film director, is based on a true story of Ukrainian pilot Ivan Datsenko who was a Soviet officer during the World War II.

He was believed dead after his aircraft had been shot down over the enemy’s territory in 1944, but he did not.

His almost mysterious adventures were revealed by the end of 60s (last century) when an Indian tribe chieftain approached the Soviet delegation in Montreal, Canada, and spoke Ukrainian to them.

After collapse of the Soviet Union relatives of Ivan Datsenko tried to find out more about him. But the tribal life in reservations finished in early 70s and by that time no provable evidences of Ukrainian Indian leader could be traced.

The rest you may see in FireCrosser. Enjoy!

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