If anything, pregnancy makes one more practical. Yes, your body is expanding, hormones are on a roller coaster, and anxiety strikes from the sheer unknown of it all. This is especially true for Oksana Cherkashyna’s “Klondike”, where Irka in the Ukrainian drama is having her first child.
And yet, someone has to milk the cow, clean the cabinets, and make sure there’s enough food for the winter… and that someone is you. It is already painful enough for Irka to undertake all of these banal chores while the world around her is quickly growing more unstable: for instance, she is in Eastern Ukraine on the border of Russia and the Donbas War started in 2014. But it is this unusual paradox in the dark humor of Maryna Er Gorbach’s writing, directing, and editing that she must tend to these chores. For starters, there is already the modest house Irka lives in, where a single mortar blast has blown the living room wall, setting her up for ridiculous conflict.
Gorbach skillfully balances the emotions when filming the ‘Klondike’ and other pictures. As E. Gorbach examines the monitors set up around the set, one can see how much she enjoys and cares for the performers. ‘Klondike’ is a measured and contemplative film, allowing pauses to appreciate the little things such as how the house where Irka and her husband, Tolik (Serhii Shadrin), live is poorly kept but still stands, or how Irka, in an attempt to escape the chaos, walks outside, and the clouds slowly move over the aging, rural horizon. Gorbach takes full advantage of zoom-in-shots of the eye, revealing unfortunate aspects like the worn-out scenery surrounding the main heroine of the film.
The scenario was already tough at Irka and Tolik’s under-resourced farm when the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur plummeted killing almost 300 people on board. (‘Klondike’ is a drama inspired by true events.) When this airplane crashed it was the result of Russian-supported Ukrainian separatists attacking, one of which Tolik is about to convert into. This adds to the stresses of an already deteriorating Irka and Tolik relationship which ranges from strained laughter to shattered desperation. “They bombed the stroller, now where am I going to put my baby?” Irka conceivably makes a dark joke steeped in heavy emotion.
Everyone is eager to take Irka to the hospital, especially now as she is about to give birth. Her brothers, Yaryk (Oleh Shcherbyna), and Tolik are also in favor. You can also see how dubious Yaryk is of Tolik’s loyalties. Irka is adamant that she doesn’t want to be moved for her reasons. A deep breath, go calm down. Feeling morbid is understandable, but your belly breathing tells a different story. It gives you a sense of calm but worries at the same time if there is such a thing as calm worry. The contrast is unsettling. These make us cringe and engage the deep rest where destroying it means waking up with your feeling ingrained in the nothingness. The sobering quiet makes it easier to listen to the sound of truck wheels sinking into the dirt as they bring tanks along. From this, helicopters take off and a rooster blurts out. Er, Gorbach does a great job of making us understand that the world has taken a dark turn, where the control feels benign.
A powerful contrasting idea is the complete neglect of human life and the sliver of hope for the future. The final scene of the film, which particularly struck this idea into my mind, is very lengthy. This is where the emotions start to surge and the overflowing reservoir of agony is revealed, and it becomes hard to even comprehend. Although there are parts in Mr. Garbach’s film that seem to show restraint and slow pacing, it becomes clear why his restraint is commendable while her powerful imagery plays out in its most raw form. The story’s timeline almost revolves around a decade back, and even though this shines a light somewhat on Russia-Ukraine’s conflict, it still makes you wonder if “Klondike,” remains incredibly relevant.
For more movies like “Klondike” visit 123 Movies
