Mavka: The Forest Song

Mavka: The Forest Song (Ukrainian: «Мавка. Лісова пісня», romanized: Mavka. Lisova pisnia) is an independently-produced Ukrainian 3D-animated fantasy film. Released on March 2, 2023, the film was directed by Oleksandra Ruban and Oleh Malamuzh and produced by the Animagrad film studio, which is part of The Film.UA Group.

The narrative is based on Lesya Ukrainka's play, The Forest Song, and features characters rooted in Slavic and Ukrainian folk mythology. The film unfolds across two realms: an enchanted forest and the human world, centering on the love story between Mavka, a forest spirit, and Lukas, a human, as they confront the antagonist Kylina, who seeks to control a magical wellspring.

Mavka: The Forest Song has made a notable impact on Ukrainian cinema, becoming the highest-grossing Ukrainian film project in the history of independent Ukrainian filmmaking. It has also secured a place among the twenty best films in the history of Ukrainian cinema.

The film was dubbed into English and 32 other languages, allowing it to be screened in approximately 140 countries worldwide, further enhancing its cultural reach and significance.

The story begins with a flashback to a magical tree known as the Source of Life, located in the ancient Enchanted Forest. The Source sustains the forest and its inhabitants. A human sawmill owner, seeking to save his ailing daughter, trespasses into the forest and is granted a drop of water from the Source by Lesh, the forest guardian. However, he later returns with an army, leading to a fierce battle that results in a law forbidding human entry into the forest.

In the present day, Mavka awakens from winter and brings life back to the forest. Meanwhile, Kylina, the adult daughter of the sawmill owner, seeks to exploit the forest's resources and convinces Lukas, a musician, to help her. Their interaction leads to a series of events that reveal Kylina's true intentions and the historical conflict between humans and the forest.

The Ukrainian version of the film was dubbed by the '#skoroukino' studio, featuring a cast that includes Natalka Denysenko as Mavka, Artem Pyvovarov as Lukas, and Olena Kravets as Kylina. The English version was produced in New York City, with Laurie Hymes voicing Mavka and Eddy Lee as Lukas, among others.

The concept for Mavka: The Forest Song originated in 2014, with the official brief established that same year. Production officially commenced in September 2015, with the aim of adapting Ukrainka's work into a family-friendly animated feature that addressed contemporary themes, including ecological issues.

The project received state funding in 2016 and gained international attention at the Cartoon Movie forum in France in 2017, where it was recognized as one of the best pitches among 50 projects.