
There is a ballad written by Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko called “That Catherine's hut is on the hill...". It is about a rescue of Catherine's lover, whom she saves by posing him as her brother. This story, as a parable, flies throughout Ukraine's history and reconstructs its dramatic and heroic episodes. Every challenge, including the Chernobyl accident, leaves Catherine without her home. But she is stubborn, as many generations of Ukrainians, in rebuilding her house out of pieces. The story is not only about Catherine's redemption, but also about Ukraine's survival throughout the centuries that is reflected in a folk tradition called Toloka.
Directed by Mykhailo Illienko, Toloka leans on a strong ensemble — Ivanna Illienko, Dmytro Linartovych, Bohdan Beniuk — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 2020.
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