Director Oles Yanchuk, who loves historical subjects, has made a fascinating film about church leader Andrey Sheptytsky, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Descended from an old noble family that included well-known military leaders, diplomats and politicians, Andrey Sheptytsky (1865-1944) chose to serve God and his people. He played an important role in Ukraine’s spiritual and political growth. He cultivated the Ukrainian character of the Greek-Catholic Church and was instrumental in maintaining the Church’s integrity during a time that included severe persecution and the repression of political regimes led by tsars and dictators, including Stalin and Hitler. Although displaying all the attributes of a lavish historical epic, Vladyka Andrey is seen by director Yanchuk as a psychological drama, an exploration of Sheptytsky as a person. ‘Sheptytsky the man is not known in Ukraine,’ says Yanchuk. ‘In Central and East Ukraine people only know of him from Soviet propaganda, which suggested that he collaborated with the Nazis. I wanted to present the true face of Sheptytsky.’