Ivan

Ivan is a 1932 Soviet drama film directed by Oleksandr Dovzhenko. After the critical lambasting of his film Earth by the Soviet authorities, Dovzhenko returned with a more popular iteration of its main motifs. Much like Earth, Ivan concerns itself with the natural rhythms of country life, disrupted by the beat of looming industrialisation. Oleksandr Dovzhenko received a Special Jury Prize for the film at the 2nd Venice International Film Festival. Plot Landscapes of calm waters of the Dnieper, which are replaced by dangerous rapids, float in the frame. However, the construction of Dniproges is underway, workers are building a dam to bury the rapids under water and create a power plant. A village boy recounts a speech he heard at a construction site about the fact that the village has accumulated surplus labor, which should be sent to cities. There is a young Ivan in the house, who approves the plan. But Ivan's father, Stepan, denies — “I want to go, I do not want — I will not go.” The future foreman Stepan Vasilyevich has a different opinion, he believes that it is necessary to set an example to other villages and be the first to send aid for construction. The foreman meets the secretary of the party committee, his friend, with whom he has not seen for 22 years, at the construction site. Ivan is delighted with the landscapes of the Dnieper, as a huge river is tamed. He enthusiastically works on the railway, unlike his father, who works dishonestly, looking to avoid work. Ivan, however, lacks education, and his efforts, though great, are of little use. The foreman remarks: a lot of work, but done sloppily, will lead to trouble.