American film director Martin Scorsese claimed Ukrainian Olexandr Dovzhenko to be one of the greatest directors in the history of cinematography while taking the stage at a charity concert dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the American premiere of Mykola Leontovych’s carol “Shchedryk,” also known as “Carol of the Bells.”

“These people also gave us a truly outstanding director in the history of cinema – Alexander Dovzhenko. His films are impressive. They are still amazing. He was born in Sosnytsya, and he had an incredible love for Ukraine, and you can feel it in every frame of his biggest films and, of course, the big film “Earth,” Scorsese said, calling on the audience to watch the movie.

Scorsese has also mentioned that persecution by the Soviet government tormented Dovzhenko.

“I mean, even the movies, overshadowed and compromised by interference and censorship, still have the moments where the real Dovzhenko is present. The Soviet Union and Stalin personally turned Dovzhenko’s life into hell, tearing him away from his homeland. They tried to kill his spirit, but they never succeeded because the spirit lives in his films and in his art forever,” said Scorsese.

Olexandr Dovzhenko was a Ukrainian Soviet screenwriter, film producer, and director. He is often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers. Dovzhenko’s “Earth” has been praised as one of the greatest silent movies ever made.

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