User reviews

Lesia Gongadze was a small woman who brought up and lost a great son. While watching this amazing film, I realized how is it like - to be a knight in a female body. The movie is full of precious insights and thoughts which made me speechless - long after lights were on.

The long-awaited film by Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun "Mama's Heart. Gongadze," which I watched with delight on the big screen at its premiere in Kyiv, reveals not only the epic fail of justice in post- communist Ukraine, but also clearly shows how civil virtues in a democratic society are truly impotent without a moral basis. The documentary, based on long interviews with the mother (now deceased) of a murdered journalist, touches on a range of feelings of the viewer and gives a unique opportunity to feel the heart of a mother who lost her only son.

The death of Georgiy Gongadze, a well-known Ukrainian journalist who was kidnapped, killed and ritually distorted, shook not only the Ukrainian community and the whole world. Gongadze's case inspired the 2004 Orange Revolution, the 2013 Revolution of Dignity, and as this film about the suffering of Gongadze's mother shows that the case is not over.

The idea of the film, which was conceived during the times of the authoritarian regime of Yanukovych as an episode of the struggle of a specific person for the rights and freedoms under a violent state, develops into a multi-faceted work in which a personal turns into a universal, universally human. "Mama's Heart" reveals to us a family history, family relationships and atmosphere in which Lesia Gongadze raised a loving son, a good family man and a courageous citizen (Georgiy even fought against the pro-Russian separatists in Abkhazia).

Fears about the emotional overload of the film are dispelled from the first moments of the mother's confession: the viewer is revealed the depth of pain which is carefully sustained by mother's extraordinary spiritual self-control, the search for justice and the will to fight for her own rights. This power of Ms. Gongadze's spirit is delicately reflected by the camera work and in the construction of the narrative. The atmosphere of film, besides the photos from the family archive, is enhanced by the original score by Volodymyr Gronsky. The mastery of Slavik Bihun as a director, in my opinion, in this film is demonstrated in the way the story is told to us: it is as if the character would like to tell her story herself; as though she herself had invited the crew, offered a script and directed it. No moralization, no false pathos, no politicking. We sense the power of feelings, the power of reason, and the power of faith in the heart of the mother, before whom we want to take a low bow and show our respect.

It is well-known that a good film is worth multiple viewings, to better understand it and feel it deeper. This film will reveal to regular audience the true feelings of a mother, and to experts it is a recall about the tragic power of the ancient Greek archetypes (Lesia Gongadze, as an old Spartan, had to see the body of her dead son "on the shield" (though she didn't accept it as his)), and to politicians it is a reminder of the real goal of democracy, that is: justice should stand guard so that hearts of mothers could be filled with love for their living sons.

Vitaliy NECHYPORENKO Ph.D in Philosophy of Law

I've always considered documentary being a higher league in filmmaking. "Mama's Heart. Gongadze" belongs to that league. There are no repetitions or redundancy in the film, each scene and each frame are unique. When I went to the film's premiere, I was expecting to see a concentrated informational document. I expected some type of dryness in the presentation of material. But I was deeply impressed by the emotionally of the picture. Thank's God, this is the first documentary which I was watching and crying along with the full hall of the audience. But these tears were not bitter tears, but tears of pride, love and subtle sensitivity. Lesya Gongadze, as for me, was unknown and, to be frank, seemed superficial. Sure, we knew a kind of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. Sure, we witnessed the noise about his disappearance. Sure, we were aware of the following trials. It would seem that such piece of work might be interesting for biographers, supporters and relatives of Gongadze. But that was not the case about this film at all. Absolutely!!! Every second of the film by Vyacheslav (Slavik) Bihun shows us the acute problems of Ukrainians, mothers. We see her as the person with a very sensual vision, kind as well as the courageous and charismatic mother of Georgiy Gongadze I'd not like to give spoilers, though I really want to tell about the finest moments of the movie, when Mrs. Lesya cannot hold back her teas, holding her son's uniform to her heart. I strongly recommend allotting 75 minute of your time to watch this film. It is especially recommended to young people.

These is not only story of the strong woman. These is the story of dignity of human being. This film helps to think over your life. Every one can find something for himself in this film. How to live, to love, to make decisions, how to be able to forgive, learn historical lessons.

I've watched Slavik Bihun's documentary "Mama's Heart. Gongadze" during one of its avant-premiere screenings in Paris.

One mother is talking. Her son was killed under atrocious circumstances involving state intrigues and mafia practices.

Don't look for something sensational, such as calls for vengeance and cries of uncontrolled suffering. Don't wait for close-ups in search of tears on the cheeks of this Mother. You will not find that.

With kindness and mercy, she talks about her son, how she saw him growing up, becoming a man, gaining his notoriety as an independent journalist in Ukraine before the revolutionary upheavals.

She talks to you about her son, she talks to you about love. What the kindness is in the portrait of this merciful Mother.

This film is the demonstration that the great ladies are not to be found on premises or in corridors of ministerial buildings. There was one in Lviv, the Mother in this film, who died before the release of the film, who would perhaps make those people blush with modesty.