Kyiv moves south for the summer – and many land in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, which offers a lot more than just a day at the beach and a swim in the sea.
Kyiv’s busy traffic moves to Odesa in summer. People come for the beach and the parties in this hotbed of summer fun. But if you need another excuse for a trip to the Black Sea, here’s a list of cultural events in Odesa for the rest of the sunny season.
Odesa International Film Festival, July 16 – 24
A potential rival for France’s Cannes Film Festival, if I may say so myself, the summer capital of Ukraine is launching a movie Mecca of its own. As a port city, Odesa has always been a melting pot of different nationalities, languages and cultures. So, it will certainly feel comfortable presenting a collection of 100 films from all over the world. They will screen in their original languages with English and Ukrainian subtitles. Some films will have German or French subtitles.
The competition program includes 16 films from Cannes, Berlinale, Venetian and Kinotavr festivals. Retrospectives from Italian Federico Fellini and Russian Kira Muratova, best works from the Odesa film studios and modern French films among others will be screened in five cinemas across town.
One of Odesa’s most famous landmarks, Potemkin staircase, will turn into a giant theater for an open-air screening of legendary “Potemkin Battleship.” The steps can apparently sit some 10,000 spectators.
A screenshot of Mammuth movie with Gerard Depardieu, the word’s best-known French actor. The film will screen during the upcoming film festival in Odesa. (Courtesy)
Shot in 1925, the film depicts the rebellion of the battleship crew against the officers of the czarist regime setting the stage for the Russian revolution in 1905. Iconic scenes of the battle spilling outside the ship onto the steps made many viewers believe it was a real-life event. The movie by Sergei Eisenstein was rendered as one of the most influential propaganda films of all time by many critics. Join the crowds on July 17 at 8:30 p.m. for the grand screening with a symphonic orchestra adding sound to an otherwise silent black-and-white saga.
Another film to check out is “Mammuth,” a sensible comedy about the absurdities of the retirement process in France. One of the world’s best-known French actors Gerard Depardieu played the key part in the movie. He’s expected to open the premier in Odesa. A long-time favorite of Ukrainian viewers, Depardieu, 61, was a frequent guest of former President Viktor Yushchenko. He also owns a winery in the Crimea and was rumored to have a Ukrainian girlfriend.
Other celebrities to keep on a radar are Hollywood’s main movie macho, Sylvester Stallone and blue-eyed Dutchman Rutger Hauer, who had parts in “Sin City” and “Batman Begins.” Many Ukrainian and Russian film stars will also trot the red carpet, which is sponsored by Viktoria Tigipko. Spouse of Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko and a business lady herself, she is the godmother of the festival.
Tickets can be purchased on the spot in movie theaters for Hr 15-50. A special pass for most of the films, including workshops for cinematographers and parties, is available for Hr 500. It also includes a spot in the tent camp reserved for revelers in central Odesa.
For more information, also available in English, go to http://oiff.com.ua/
Odesa Opera
Performers of classical arts usually go on holidays in summer, but not in Odesa. One of the world’s most beautiful theaters, Odesa opera stays open for the most loyal viewer with special concerts through July and August. In an hour-and-a-half program, opera singers present a vibrant cocktail of arias from “Karmen,” “Macbeth,” “Tosca” and “Faust” to name a few. The season reopens on Aug. 7 with Puccini’s “Turandot.”
The building itself is worth a tour. Dating back to 1873, it was designed after the opera house in Dresden. Curvaceous white front takes after Viennese baroque, while the luxurious interior was inspired by French rococo. The stage has seen the genius of Enrico Karuzo, Fedor Shalyapin and Petr Chaikovskyi among others.
Forbes magazine mentioned Odesa opera house as one of the main attractions in Eastern Europe.
Find the program in English at http://www.opera-ballet.tm.odessa.ua/english/repertoiren_now.html
Tango Festival,
July 30 – Aug 1
The hot rhythms of tango will sweep Odesa again with the second international festival of Argentinean tango “Tango D’amore.” Beginners and advanced dancers can register for classes and practical sessions during the day. From 10 p.m. till dawn, milonga parties will spill into various Odesa night venues. Milonga is a type of music and dance that preceded tango, claiming its roots to Argentina and Uruguay.
Russian band Soledad Orquesta will open the fest at Odesa Philarmonics on July 30. The music house is a landmark in its own right. Built as a merchant’s exchange in 18th century in the style of venetian Gothics, it’s one of Odessa’s iconic images.
Prices start from Hr 100 per lesson or a dance party.
For more information, also available in English, go to http://www.milonga.od.ua/
Ibiza Concerts
If you know Ibiza as a party island in the Mediterranean Sea, Ukrainians know it as a wild beach club in Odesa. It’s also a popular venue for rock and pop bands to get down and close with their fans.
Curvaceous Gaudi-like podiums will host legendary French DJ Bob Sinclair on July 16, Ukrainian pop star Ani Lorak on July 22., New York saxophonist Johan on July 23, Russian rockers Bi2 on July 29, Ukrainian pop star Tina Karol on Aug 1 and Ukraine’s best known rock band Okean Elzy on Aug 12.
For more information, go to http://ibiza.ua/
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliya Popova can be reached at [email protected]
