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I began work on LIGHT FROM THE EAST imagining the film would document an unprecedented theater production that was worthy of note because it broke new ground in the area of American/Soviet artistic collaboration.  I had no way of knowing that my camera would witness events that changed the world.  

When Natalia woke me up on the morning of August 19^th 1991 screaming “Gorbechev isn’t president anymore” I was in disbelief and replied “does this happen often”? At that moment, it struck me, how removed we are as Americans from the immediacy of political events; the harsh realities of war and revolution. We rely on media to experience political events and have become complacent. With networks and media sources shut down, the Ukrainians could only rely on each other. There was an enormous beauty in joining them as they congregated in the square to take back their country. I was moved by their spirit and realized I as an American had something to learn about liberty from a people who had lived for nearly a century under repression.  

Because I believe, as Kurbas' diary reads, that "art is where the unity of humanity becomes manifest, it's where our true selves converse with one another," I have aimed to create a film that is more a lyrical meditation than a traditional historical documentary.  Like a poem can capture the essence of a complex issue through vivid imagery and evocative language, it is my hope that LIGHT FROM THE EAST will examine the nature of freedom in a changing world through the depth of its characters and the power of its images.  

The topic is a complicated and elusive one. In the words of a Ukrainian actor I interviewed for the film, "Freedom is not getting to take your pants off in front of everyone. Freedom is inside - free from psychological complexes. This baggage in my soul you can't just take out with democracy. 

Ultimately, with Kurbas and the coup as central metaphors, the film makes an impassioned case for the crucial role artists play in transforming societies - past, present, and future.

In light of the post 9/11 fight against terrorism and the campaign to spread “freedom” by the current US administration, the global debate over the meaning of freedom becomes more and more relevant, and the significance of this film grows.  

Once again with the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukrainians have shown the world that change can be brought about peacefully.

- Amy Grappell