Foochow

A crazy, Dadaistic, dynamic film about everything and nothing. Mikhail Ilyenko: 'The action is set at the start of the twentieth century, between a village by the River Dnyepr and the coast of Florida. While the story has ironic, romantic and sometimes mystic angles, the bitter aspects of emigration from the Ukraine to the United States become clearly visible. The genre that I have chosen - the parable - indicates that I am not interested in carrying out a social and historical in-depth study. A significant part of the plot is a miracle, a miracle that I depict with absolute realism. Another significant part is the wind, that continuously pursues the protagonist. There are also to the sea wolves of the Atlantic Ocean, Ukrainian peasants, an American lawyer and other characters who have helped him in the quest for his beloved. Use is also made of a dream schooner, 197 cases of French champagne, 313 male ghosts, two witches, 1001 paintings by the mad village painter, days of calm, a small tornado and not a single Chinese pagoda.'