Yasa

The afterlives of revolution and shadows of grief in the wake of the 2004 and 2014 uprisings, as experienced through the perspective of women in particular. In Yasa, the filmmaker turns to personal stories to better understand the political and psychological resonances of a decade of upheaval.

Hanna and Darka are united by their tragic memories of Danya, who died during the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Hanna was an activist during the Orange Revolution, and life has since brought her to a high-ranking government position. As Hanna gets closer to Darka, she begins to realise that her recent career choices have left a fatalistic imprint on the fate of others.

In this grand feature, Sergii Masloboishchykov interweaves the experiences of Ukraine’s 2004 and 2014 revolutions from a female perspective, united by a common, lingering grief in the present. Although the film was shot before the full-scale invasion, it continues to dialogue with the war as it escalates. Masloboishchykov’s political and psychological analysis of the decade is presented in a virtuoso-theatrical style that also reminds us that, for the first time in almost 20 years, the director has turned his attention away from the stage. The lead role is played by Alla Serhiiko, the irreplaceable star of all Masloboishchykov’s films, and his life companion. 

– Sonya Vseliubska

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