The aim of this article is to analyze the key narratives surrounding the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as represented in Ukrainian cinema and in films of a similar nature produced in Poland and Canada. Methods: The research employs content analysis as a systematic method for objectively describing media messages, alongside analysis, comparison, synthesis, and narrative analysis.Results. The study explores the confrontation between two opposing narratives: the Soviet and Russian narrative, which denies the existence of an artificial famine and genocide, and the Ukrainian narrative, which exposes the trauma of this historical period and the subsequent experience of its suppression and denial. These narratives function as ideological constructs, amplified through the media and integrated into feature films, which serve as a powerful tool for shaping historical understanding and national identity. The article also examines the narrative of concealment, embedded in the construction of the Soviet simulacrum of a new society, and the specific interplay between documentary and artistic elements in films about the Holodomor.The study reveals that films about the Holodomor are perceived in Ukrainian national consciousness through the lens of experienced collective trauma. This trauma is intensified by long-term suppression and denial, as well as renewed aggression. The renewed portrayal of the enemy as foreign and aggressive is shown to be central to the societal process of coping with this trauma.Novelty: This research offers a comparative perspective on how the Holodomor is portrayed across Ukrainian, Polish, and Canadian films. It highlights how cinematic narratives contribute to shaping national memory and the emotional experience of historical trauma.Practical significance. The results will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of building national memory through cinema, as well as the development of educational and outreach programs based on cinema.Key words: famine, genocide, narrative, cinema, trauma, propaganda, memory.
Оlena Rosinska (Mon,) studied this question.