La veille de la nuit de la Saint-Jean

I was very lucky recording this movie on VHS in 2001 on the french / German Arte TV-Channel. It's in the same line as Sergei Parjanov's "shadows of forgotten ancestors" from 1964. Yuri Iljenko did most of the camera work for "Shadows". An everyone who nows the Parajanov movie is familiar with the brilliant camera techniques of Yuri Iljenko. Although the story of "Vecher nakanune Ivana Kupala", a Russian folklore-myth is interesting, i was a lot more impressed by the fantastic, unusual and hypnotic camera work of brother Vadim Iljenko. The film is throughout filled with all kinds of colors in a very consentaneous way, and there are scenes with slapstick-parts you'll probably see for the very first time in a movie. In one scene there are many fireballs made out of straw rolling down a hill at night. It's made very simple but the effect is so wonderful, you just sit there watching this stunning, natural beauty. It's definitely not a film for Hollywood buffs. But if you like something different you've never came across, therefore i would highly recommend this movie. As been said, it was, or maybe it is possible to buy this movie in Russia. But i've never seen a VHS or DVD on the internet. The only chance to see this film is probably to ask the ARTE TV-channel for a copy. In my opinion it would be worth it. 10/10 **********