KYIV – Volodymyr Mula’s third documentary film is as much about telling the story of professional NHL hockey players of Ukrainian descent as it is to show them how much their historical roots mean to the world.
“Uke” – a common term that North American Ukrainians use to refer to themselves – is scheduled to premiere next autumn. It’s the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast native’s most ambitious project to date.
“My main message, my goal is to show that the former players are proud of their Ukrainian heritage, but haven’t completely discovered their roots on a deeper level,” Mr. Mula told The Ukrainian Weekly on October 29. “I also want to show them their contribution – that the traditions of 100 years ago is in them, that their journey isn’t forgotten.”
About 65 percent of the film has been shot, and Mr. Mula, the founder and head of TeleProstir Studio, still is waiting for a possible grant from the Canadian Embassy and for local private investors to contribute.
Most of the protagonists are second-generation Canadians whose grandparents were part of the first wave of immigrants. They include Eric Nesterenko, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks (his roots are in Chernihiv Oblast). Then there are Johnny Bucyk of the Boston Bruins and the late legendary goaltender Terry Sawchuk of the Detroit Red Wings, both of whom played during the “Original Six” era of hockey. NHL players of Ukrainian extraction who were interviewed for the film include Ken Daneyko, a Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, and Jeff Chychrun and Orest Kindrachuk of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mr. Mula, 29, has yet to lock in perhaps the greatest hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, whose grandparents hailed from Ukraine. Another interview subject who’s on the list is Mike Bossy, who played for the New York Islanders.
“I still have to get more archival video from the NHL, but they think all Ukraine does is steal, so it doesn’t trust the country,” the young filmmaker said.
He also lamented that many of the former players’ agents have asked for money to talk to them.
“Of course, I didn’t pay,” Mr. Mula said, adding that it’s been tough for an unknown filmmaker like him to approach many of the legends for the movie.
Another goal of the movie is to show that hockey has a long tradition in Ukraine. During his research, Mr. Mula discovered that there were some 20 hockey clubs in existence in the country at the turn of the last century “but that they were destroyed under Bolshevism.”
He also wants to highlight that many of the players’ parents and grandparents fled to escape Bolshevism yet passed down the language and culture to the players.
Growing up, “they found it difficult to assimilate in Canadian society so hockey was a way to adapt and receive recognition, many started to be called ‘Ukes,’ ” Mr. Mula said.
His first two documentaries were about Ukrainians living in the U.S., the second one focusing on celebrities like singer and actress Mika Newton, who is from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, and Dema (Dmytro) Kovalenko, who played for the Chicago Fire and D.C. United major league soccer teams and hails from Kyiv.
Prior to his burgeoning moviemaking career, Mr. Mula worked as a journalist and covered major sporting events like the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and 2016 Summer Olympics in Ro de Janeiro.
The “Uke” trailer can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqX5HAzyMWE.