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Ukrainian Sheriffs
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Wikipedia article
'Ukrainian Sheriffs' is a 2015 Ukrainian documentary film directed by . It was selected as the Ukrainian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.
Synopsis
Due to a lack of police presence in the Ukrainian village of , mayor Viktor Marunyak assigns the task of protecting the peace to two locals, Viktor Kryvoborodko, aged 50, and Volodymyr Rudkovsky, aged 44. Kryvoborodko and Rudkovsky's work combines the functions of police officers and social workers, as they are tasked with mediating disputes, but not with investigating criminal offenses. The beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War (2014- ) changes their routine, however - village politics become divided, and the sheriffs are tasked with supporting the Ukrainian war-effort.
Production
'Ukrainian Sheriffs' was filmed over four years, for a total of nearly 200 hours of footage. The first cut of the film was five hours in length and remained over two hours in length until its sixth cut.
Distribution
'Ukrainian Sheriffs' began distribution throughout Europe in February 2016. The film's premiere on German television took place on 4 April 2016 on the Franco-German channel Arte. Distribution of the film in Ukraine began in July 2016 and then in the Baltics and Balkans in September.
Reception
Ukrainian film critic , writing for The Day, praised 'Ukrainian Sheriffs' and described Marunyak, Kryvoborodko, and Rudkovsky as role models for Ukraine, and compared the latter two to American police officers. Neil Young, in 'The Hollywood Reporter', described 'Ukrainian Sheriffs' as "an episodic, wryly amusing affair, displaying considerable interest in and sympathy with human foibles." Fionnuala Halligan, chief film critic at 'Screen Daily', also praised the film and predicted that it would do well at international film festivals.
Accolades
The Ukrainian Association of Cinematographers (NSU) named 'Ukrainian Sheriffs' the Best Ukrainian Non-Fiction Film of 2016 at the . It then added 'Ukrainian Sheriffs' to a shortlist of submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 89th Academy Awards with 'The Nest of the Turtledove' and 'Song of Songs'. 'Ukrainian Sheriffs' was eventually chosen as Ukraine's submission for the category.The film won the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam's 2015 Special Jury Award. It also won the Grand Prix at the Docs Against Gravity Festival in Poland, and appeared at a dozen other international film festivals.
See also
* List of submissions to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
* List of Ukrainian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
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