International pop star Madonna finally fulfilled her promise to become a film director (after being called a terrible actress all too many times) and presented her debut work “Filth and Wisdom” about the life of immigrants in London at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb. 13. As many expected, the filmed was bashed by many critics present at the premiere. However, what’s more interesting is that it stars Eugene Hutz, a Ukrainian immigrant and musician leading New York-based band Gogol Bordello.
Hutz’s and Madonna’s collaboration began a while ago, when the singer invited Gogol Bordello to appear with her on stage during the Live Earth show in London, for a polka-infused rendition of “La Isla Bonita.”
As for Hutz himself, critics called him one of the few positive points in the mostly disastrous movie. It is hardly surprising, since Hutz’s stunning charisma is known to anyone who has ever seen live onstage, besides, it’s not his first time acting. He played himself in the movie “Kill Your Idols” and appeared alongside Elijah Wood in “Everything Is Illuminated,” based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. The latter was a decent cinematographic work, with Hutz being its main highlight. Hutz is one of the only native Ukrainians to have a leading role in a modern film set in Ukraine (and filmed partly in Czech Republic).
In “Filth and Wisdom” Hutz basically plays himself – a Ukrainian immigrant A.K., who works as a cross-dressing dominatrix, while dreaming of rock glory with his gypsy punk band, played by his bandmates from Gogol Bordello. Several of the band’s songs also appeared in the sountrack for the film.
Originally a Kyivan, Hutz became a New York citizen in 1998 and now rarely visits his hometown. He has come to deejay several times in the last few years and performed a show with his band in the summer of 2003. One way or another, it’s pleasing to see that Madonna’s debut movie not only brought her some extra publicity, but also extra popularity for our former countryman Hutz, who makes many Ukrainians proud.
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