Orange Revolution Documentary Films

I recently had the opportunity to view two documentary films about Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. Both films were released in 2007 and take different approaches in their coverage of the events surrounding the mass protests.

Steve York’s “Orange Revolution” is a combination of archival footage and film shot by York with a handheld camera. This film covers the election campaign and concludes with Yushchenko’s hard fought victory.

The second film is Damian Kolody’s “The Orange Chronicles.” Kolody, whose family comes from Ukraine, went to Ukraine as an election observer and shot the movie with handheld cameras. This technique puts the audience right in the middle of the action. Quite notable in this film are rare scenes from Ukraine’s pro-Russian, pro-Blue south and east.









Both films are quite good, but my preference is “The Orange Chronicles.” The handheld camera techniques used throughout the film make it seem less polished than “Orange Revolution,” but allows you to feel like a participant.

You can read my detailed reviews of the films at Suite101:

Orange Revolution - Documentary
The Orange Chronicles - 2007 Film

Both films can be purchased directly via the films’ official websites:

Orange Revolution
The Orange Chronicles