VUFKU. Lost & Found

02What made the creation of VUFKU possible?

On March 13, 1922, a significant event took place in the world of Ukrainian cinema. The All-Ukrainian Photo Cinema Administration, or VUFKU, was born. This was a big deal because it was a shift from the previous All-Ukrainian Cinema Committee, which was tightly controlled by the Soviet leadership. VUFKU, however, had a bit more freedom, thanks to the support of local Ukrainian authorities who were keen on boosting cultural growth. Think of VUFKU like a successful startup company. From 1922 to 1930, it achieved some pretty impressive things: 1. It created opportunities for new talent in the film industry. Newcomers got the chance to be extras, and budding writers were encouraged to try screenwriting. 2. VUFKU also changed what audiences preferred to watch. Foreign films, which were once more popular, were now outshone by local productions. 3. The organization played a big part in building a strong film infrastructure. This included setting up educational institutes for film studies, promoting film journalism, and creating factories for film equipment. 4. By 1927, VUFKU was making a third of all Soviet films. 5. Working in the film industry became not just a hobby, but a well-paying job. The salary in this sector was two to three times higher than in other industries. In the beginning, VUFKU made films at two state studios. But as the organization grew, it started building the Kyiv Film Studio in 1927. This studio became the biggest of its kind in Europe at the time. By the next year, the studio had finished its first set, which was as big as a football field. But VUFKU wasn't just about building stuff. The team members were also great at making deals. They set up international partnerships, inviting camera operators and directors from countries like Germany, Turkey, and France to make films in Ukraine. They also loved showing off Ukrainian films at screenings across Europe and America. Ukrainian correspondents traveled all over the world, keeping up with the latest in cinema and sharing this knowledge back home. VUFKU did have some limitations, though. The organization could explore a wide range of story themes, but these had to celebrate the October Revolution and paint a positive picture of the communist future. But creative screenwriters and directors found ways around these restrictions. They often focused on personal stories instead of big national narratives. And when the story needed to promote the communist agenda, they cleverly introduced minor characters to echo the party line. Here's a fun fact about Ukrainian cinema: in 1893, two years before the Lumiere brothers introduced cinema as we know it today, Ukrainian engineer Yosyp Tymchenko created the world's first movie camera. Sadly, Tymchenko's groundbreaking invention didn't get the recognition it deserved because he never patented it.

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