Members and Friends of the Ukrainian-American Community:

As Ukrainian-Americans join together to commemorate the Holodomor, we want to introduce ourselves and send a message of solidarity and support.

We are working with the filmmakers of BITTER HARVEST, the first theatrical release that addresses this often overlooked tragedy. We would like to share some information about the film and invite you to ask us any questions. We hope to work with you to elevate the discussion about BITTER HARVEST and in turn raise awareness for the Holodomor through its release beginning in the United States on February 24, 2017.  Below you will find information about the film, including upcoming events and an article from last October.   

We want to ensure that people the world over will see BITTER HARVEST and realize that they have not given the Holodomor the attention it deserves. To educate the international community about the crisis, we were hoping that you could share information about the film and encourage your friends, families, and acquaintances to join you. The following is a link to the first trailer: https://www.yahoo.com/movies/bitter-harvest-trailer-love-in-the-time-of-holodomor-exclusive-165910279.html  

We would welcome your help sharing it across social media, using the hashtag: #BitterHarvest.

We are honored to be a part of this effort and look forward to connecting with you in the days and weeks to come. It is our intention to arrange a series of conversations for you to engage the filmmakers and share your thoughts.

Kind regards,

Members of the Bitter Harvest Team

OFFICIAL WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE: http://www.bitterharvestfilm.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/BitterHarvestTheFilm/?fref=ts

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BitHarvestFilm

ABOUT BITTER HARVEST:

Based on one of the most overlooked tragedies of the 20th Century, BITTER HARVEST is a powerful story of love, honor, rebellion and survival as seen through the eyes of two young lovers caught in the ravages of Joseph Stalin’s genocidal policies against Ukraine in the 1930s.  As Stalin advances the ambitions of the burgeoning Soviet Union, a young artist named Yuri (Max Irons) battles to survive famine, imprisonment and torture to save his childhood sweetheart Natalka (Samantha Barks) from the “Holodomor,” the death-by-starvation program which ultimately killed millions of Ukrainians.  Against this tragic backdrop, Yuri escapes from a Soviet prison and joins the anti-Bolshevik resistance movement as he battles to reunite with Natalka and continue the fight for a free Ukraine.

Filmed on location in Ukraine, this epic love story brings to light one of the most devastating chapters of modern Europe.  The stellar cast also includes Barry Pepper, Tamer Hassan and Terence Stamp. Director George Mendeluk co-wrote the screenplay with Richard Bachynsky-Hoover based on Bachynsky-Hoover’s original story. The film is produced by Ian Ihnatowycz, Stuart Baird, George Mendeluk, Chad Barager and Jaye Gazeley. Dennis Davidson, Peter D. Graves and William J. Immerman serve as executive producers. Richard Bachynsky-Hoover is executive producer, Ukraine. Roadside will release the film in the U.S. on February 24, 2017.

UKRAINE PRESS CONFERENCE:

There will be a press conference and presentation in Kiev on November 24, 2016 that will include participation Ukrainian officials as well as the film’s distributors, producers and writers. We would welcome sharing footage from this event with you and your organization.

HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE

For your reference, please find a link to an informative article written by Diane M. Francis about BITTER HARVEST, which was published on The Huffington Post in October 2015.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-m-francis/film-russia-ukraine_b_8288514.html