Haytarma

The Kyiv Post gave a positive review, describing Haytarma as a "must-see for history enthusiasts".^[4] In Simferopol, the Kosmos Cinema estimated that six thousand people had seen the film in the first week, and a thousand per day by 4 June; the cinema had begun with just two screenings per day, but added two additional ones in response to the unexpected demand.^[5] It was screened at the International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in October 2013.^[6] It was one of three films which made the Ukraine Oscar selection committee's shortlist to be submitted as a nominee in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 86th Academy Awards.^[7]

Vladimir Andreev, the Russian Consul in Simferopol provoked controversy following comments that the film "distorts the truth" by failing to mention alleged collaboration by Crimean Tatars during Nazi Germany's occupation of Ukraine. He told several Russian generals invited to the premiere to not attend, and said that the Crimean Tatars deserved to be deported, provoking a massive backlash. He later admitted that he "did not watch [Seitablaev’s] film", but knew it was "based on falsified history because it was produced by Crimean Tatars". On 23 May 2013 about 300 people held a protest outside the consulate demanding that Andreev be declared persona non grata, while the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Andreev's remarks as "inappropriate". Andreev initially stood by his Tatarophobic remarks and refused to retract them, but the following day the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also described Andreev's words as "inappropriate" and "incorrect". Eventually he resigned in anger that the Russian government had not supported his comments.^[8][9][10]

Khaytarma at IMDb