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The Guide \ Поводир
Director: Oles Sanin\ Олесь Санін
DoP: Sergiy Mykhalchuk\ Сергій Михальчук
Production Designer: Serhiy Yakutovych\ Сергій Якутович
Composer: Alla Zagaykevych\ Алла Загайкевич
Producers:Maksym Asadchyi, Igor Savychenko\ Максим Асадчий, Ігор Савиченко

The soul of a string instrument is the sound post, a small dowel wedged between the front and back plates of the instrument. Without its "dusha", the instrument loses its voice.

Throughout the ages, popular national culture was sustained in Ukraine by blind minstrels, called kobzars, who traveled from village to village performing ancient folk songs and epic ballads. They preserved for the people the memory of their free and heroic past.

In his memoirs, published in London in 1939, Shostakovich, wrote:
"In the mid-1930's, the First Nationwide Congress of Lyrists was announced by the government. All the kobzars had to gather to discuss their future. Stalin declared, 'Life has become better, it has become more fun!' The blind minstrels believed him. They came to the Congress from all over Ukraine, even from the smallest forgotten village. The gathering was a living museum, a living history of Ukraine, of all her songs, her music, her poetry. Almost all of them were shot, almost all of these legendary minstrels were killed."

Some years ago, I sought out a blind kobzar to teach me to play the lyre. In exchange, I served as his guide. What he taught me went far beyond strumming tunes. Early one morning I found him leaning back against a wall waiting to catch the first rays of the rising sun with his dead eyes. Flowers do the same, he said -- every morning they turn their heads to the sun. They have eyes -- in their hearts and in their souls. This film is about the hope that makes us believe morning will come, that we will once again feel the sun's warmth on our faces.

The story takes place in a savage time, filled with bloodcurdling historical events. But the film is not about that. It is about how people endure great tragedies because there is hope in their hearts. A blind kobzar helps his young guide to survive with a kind and clear soul that will not be hardened by what his eyes have seen. We are challenged to admit that the bard may see the world with greater clarity than those with perfect eyes. The vision of his soul is pure, not blinded by what eyes may see.

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