The first Belarusian film of the Thaw
period about World War II was geared
for a young audience and had a rather
conventional plot and a happy ending. It
was, however, also well received by adult
audiences and not just at home (it was
released in eighty-three countries) with
its solid dramatic structure, masterful
use of adventure film conventions and
the skilful direction of young actors, especially the lead actress Anja Kamenkova
(who was only five at the time of filming
and would become a famous actress).
The plot is based on a tragic episode of Belarusian history during Nazi occupation. The children of the great partisan commander ‘Father Minaj’ (MinajŠmyrëv) were taken hostage and executed
by the Nazis. Memory of the recent past
is woven into the film’s style: the slow
pace of the line of hostages, the expressive
rendering of varied humanity (one of the
cinematographers, Izrail’ Pikman, started out as a war cameraman), the lavish
colors of the forest in autumn punctuated by the black shapes of the enemy (war
films of the 1950s and 60s were shot in a
black-and-white documentary style, but
Devočka iščet otca
was filmed in color
being categorized as a film for kids and
genre movie). Nature is an enchanting
background but also a character in its
own right: it hides the hunted and drives
back the occupying forces. The forest is
where the partisans are at home and are
invulnerable. Dovzhenko’s influence was
visible in Lev Golub’s films of the early
1930s and here it is rich and powerful.
It is not surprising that the film received
so many awards at home and abroad
(including for best children’s film in Kiev
and Anna Kamenkova as best actress in
Mar del Plata).
