Mavka: The Forest Song

A Ukrainian animated film. Mavka is the soul and warden of the forest. Her duty is to guard the heart of the forest and keep people out. The arrangement has held for centuries. Then a young musician named Lukas comes from the village. Mavka sees him when she should not, and listens to his music. A bond forms between them. At the same time there is a plan in the village to cut the forest, and it targets the thing Mavka guards. She has to choose: her duty or what she feels. The world of the film rests on Ukrainian folklore. Its source is a play written more than a century ago, freely adapted. The design draws on traditional motifs: embroidery patterns, flower crowns, timber buildings and forest plants. The production took seven years and was among the most expensive animated films made in Ukraine. It reached the highest box office figure in the country's history and was shown in more than a hundred countries. Oleh Malamuzh and Oleksandra Ruban directed. It runs ninety-nine minutes. A visually rich production for anyone who likes animation and stories drawn from mythology. For a viewer looking for depth, the story follows familiar shapes.