THEMATIC PLANNING AS AN INSTUMENT OF UKRAINIAN CINEMA REGULATION (based on the 1920s experience)

Abstract

The article analyzes the characteristics of the thematic planning in Ukrainian cinema in the 1920s. The thematic plan of 1929-1930 operating year is taken as a basis.

At present, the issue of thematic planning is quite debatable. Some consider it a relic of the Soviet era. However, along with the private film production there will always exist the state film industry. Therefore, the stated topic is relevant today.

Thematic planning was an integral part of the Soviet cinema. This applies to the Ukrainian cinematography as well. The first attempts to establish a planned release of films were made in 1919 by the All-Ukrainian film committee. However, these attempts were obstructed by the lack of the material, technical and financial resources, as well as by civil war.

In 1922, the All-Ukrainian Photo and Cinema Administration (VUFKU) was created. The process of thematic planning of films was started.

At first, thematic plans did not have a clearly defined character. They were often adjusted. At the end of 1920 the winding down of the new economic policy and strengthening of the administrativecommand system of national economy's management took place. At this time, thematic planning became increasingly important. It became an important instrument of control of the Ukrainian cinematography.

In late 1928, VUFKU developed a thematic plan of film production for 1928-1929 operating year. This thematic plan was a subject to a broad discussion.

It was the first real thematic planning of the Ukrainian cine products. It was carried out within the framework of the introduction of five-year development plans of theUSSRnational economy.

A VUFKU draft thematic plan for 1928-1929 operating year consisted of the five sections: "Social and everyday themes", "Themes that cover national politics", "Topics in the history of social movements in Ukraine", "Themes on ancient past of Ukraine", "Topics of children's films". This thematic plan failed to be implemented.

The faults of the previous planning were considered in the thematic plan for 1929-1930 operating year. A draft thematic plan for 1929-1930 operating year was even more ideological than the previous one. The leading role in a thematic plan was given to Iosif Stalin's thesis that the inevitable intensification of the class struggle which would happen along with the building of socialism and communism.

This thesis was supported by the Head of VUFKU Ivan Vorobyov (he was shot as "the people's enemy" in the 1930s). Ivan Vorobyov also thought that the thematic plan for the 1929-1930 operating year should be established on the basis of the major newspapers' editorials.

According to the thematic plan for the 1929-1930 operating year, Ukrainian cinemography was to release 40 feature films. Thematic plan consisted of 71 theme, which were divided into 11 chapters. Some of the sections were: "Social and political themes", "Social and industrial themes in a city", "Social and industrial themes in a village", "Cultural revolution and the everyday life", "Anti-religious themes", "Themes about the life of national minorities"... Thematic plan for the 1929-1930 year was not well-balanced. The internal logic was disrupted in several sections: these sections included the themes from the other sections. The mechanism of the script development, from its creation to the film production, was not thought out well.

The significant drawbacks of the thematic plan were its further ideologization, its artificial character and a raw propaganda in the majority of declared positions.

The above-mentioned problems led to the fact that the thematic plan was only partially implemented (mainly due to the scripts that were already ready). Nevertheless, the thematic plan for the 1929-1930 operating year became the next step on the path to the further ideological oppression of the Ukrainian feature films. This led to a one-sided and very subjective interpretation of events that negatively affected the development of national cinematography.