For centuries invaders have coveted the treasures of Ukraine. And for centuries they have been guarded by Grandfather (Nikolai Nademsky). This mysterious treasure remains hidden at Mount Zvenigora, eluding the often violent search.

Alexander Dovzhenko, best known for his cinephile classic Earth (1930), was the most sensual of the early Soviet masters. And Zvenigora, his first major film, is also his most joyous masterpiece, a lucid and unconventional vision rooted in a love of his native Ukraine.