Black Earth (film)

Black Earth is a 1939 Ukrainian drama film directed by Isaak Babel and Aleksandr Dovzhenko (uncredited). The film, also known as Zemlya, is a lyrical and somewhat romanticized portrayal of collectivization in the Ukrainian countryside. It depicts the social changes and challenges faced by peasants as they transition from individual farming to collective agriculture. While Dovzhenko’s influence is debated due to his uncredited role, the film is noted for its poetic imagery and focus on the connection between the people and the land. The plot centers on the efforts of a young man to modernize agriculture in his village and the resistance he faces from some of the older, more traditional members of the community. The film attempts to portray the benefits of collectivization, although viewed through a heavily propagandistic lens typical of Soviet cinema during that period. Black Earth is considered an important, though artistically flawed, example of Soviet cinema that grapples with the tumultuous process of agricultural reform.