Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow Soravian: Зламана стріла Zlamana strila
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vasyl Tokar
Written by	Vasyl Tokar
Screenplay by	Adam Morhun
Based on	Broken Arrow by Yaroslav Chumachenko
Produced by	Halyna Hryshko
Starring	Yukhym Sirenko Olesya Ruban Antonina Korzh Yevhen Phoumsavanh
Cinematography	Valerij Quintal
Edited by	Zoya Sokolova Olha Chajka
Music by	Valerij Stepanenko
Production company	Swan Films
Distributed by	Swan Films
Release dates	24 May 2021 (2021-05-24)
Running time	149 Minutes
Country	Vinalia
Language	Soravian
Budget	€21 million
Box office	€80 million

Broken Arrow, (Soravian: Зламана стріла; Zlamana strila) is a 2021 Vinalian science fiction film directed by Vasyl Tokar. Starring Yukhym Sirenko, Olesya Ruban, Antonina Korzh, and Yevhen Phoumsavanh, it is based on Yaroslav Chumachenko's 1999 novel Broken Arrow The film is set in a dystopian future Vinalia of 2050, where a Functionalist police state has risen in the world which through the use of the Cybernetically enhanced secret police called the "Arrow" maintain control over the population and crush all forms of dissent to the state.

The film was a critical and commercial success both at home and abroad, and was at the time Vinalias most expensive film ever produced, along with its highest grosser.

Plot

The film starts with a narration of events preceding the film. The rise in terrorism and political upheaval across the world during the 1990's prompts international governments to develop technologies to defend the world from the increasing threat of global terrorism. A group of Cybernetically enhanced Vinalian mercenaries, called the Arrow are used by the Community of Nations to combat terrorism throughout the world, but increasingly are used for less than ideal means by the Community. Instead being used to eliminate political enemies and dissent. The Arrow in 2001 launch a coup and through fear establish a Functionalist state in the world called the Red Thunder, which conducts warfare against states who don't join them, and a general search for world conquest. The story starts in the year 2050, with a squadron of Arrow personnel called Flashpoint, are deployed to the slums of Samistopol, in the search of a rebellious cell. During the operation, Agent Codename "Talisman" (Yukhym Sirenko) witnesses a member of his squad "Raptor" chase one of the rebels, a young girl into a corridor, where he attempts to help her escape. Sergeant "Jaguar" (Antonina Korzh) the leader of the group arrives at the scene and guns down both the soldier and the rebel girl.

Jaguar conducts an interview on Talisman seeking to discover why he didn't fire on his squad mate and the rebel girl, and he states that his gun had jammed and he was trying to plead with the soldier to get him to return to his senses. He is held temporarily as a protocol measure, time Jaguar utilizes to introduce him to the "Sapphire" program, which seeks to replace the current human divisions of the Arrow, with Robots who will not hesitate to carry out orders. After a short investigation discovers that Talismans cover story is correct, Talisman is allowed to return home. Talisman is described as a loyal, and deadly agent by Jaguar to the general director of Arrow "Sixth Sense" (Yevhen Phoumsavanh), who praises him and calls him the greatest soldier in the program. Talisman as he walks back home feels like he is followed by a woman (Olesya Ruban), Talisman tries to corner this woman but discovers that she is a visual illusion. Talisman returns to his apartment where he spends the evening pondering on the events of the previous days.

Upon waking up, Talisman discovers that his apartment has been broken into and attempts to engage the assailant but discovers the woman from his vision from the day prior. Investigating his belongings, when he confronts her, she remarks that she is a special agent sent to investigate him, but after he questions her clearances. She reveals that she is a member of the resistance from the year 2100 that has been sent back in time to stop the establishment of the Sapphire program. Which completely stops all opportunity for the resistance to defeat the Red Thunder, the program also inevitably wipes out all of humanity including the Red Thunder following a robot uprising. She reveals herself by the codename of "Meerkat", revealing she has an Arrow past. Talisman agrees to take Meerkat to a data center but promises nothing more. As they both reach the scene, they're confronted by Red Thunder personnel who cannot identify Meerkat's identification as its method of identification has yet to be invented. Talisman is forced to fight the Red Thunder to allow Meerkat into the data center. Meerkat is revealed to be capable of invisibility for short periods of time, and uses her ability to infiltrate the data center. After exiting the data center and making their return to Talisman's apartment, there they review the information stolen, and discover that the Sapphire program is well on its way to being deployed. Meerkat expresses concern at this discovery and shares that she thinks she might be too late to stop the end of humanity.

When questioned about why Meerkat did not travel further back in time, she reveals that the Red Thunder enabled a protocol called the "Broken Arrow", that prevents time travel prior to 2050. Another part of her mission is also to discover what prevents travel prior to this time. Meerkat and Talisman agree to infiltrate Red Thunder facilities to find the Broken Arrow machine, a large particle accelerator. Meerkat and Talisman successfully enter the facility and evade capture, they successfully find the Broken Arrow machine and destroy it, dealing a crippling blow to the Red Thunder. Upon returning to their apartment, Meerkat reveals that she cannot return to her time and that she is now stuck in 2050, Talisman agrees to help her in whatever is necessary, both of them spend the night together as they get closer. Talisman's apartment is raided during the night and he and Meerkat are taken into custody. Jaguar reveals to Meerkat that Talisman is not actually human, but instead a highly advanced robot a result of the Sapphire program, Talisman himself was not aware of this. Talisman had been instructed to betray the Red Thunder and help Meerkat destroy the Broken Arrow as a way to further advance Sixth Sense inside the Red Thunder. With this revelation, Talisman is released as Meerkat is killed. Sixth Sense states that Talisman's programming prevents him from acting against her, as she states her intentions to take over the Red Thunder.

Talisman is kept in custody where he starts seeing visions of Meerkat. He discovers her name and her parentage, noting that she is the granddaughter from one of his human Flashpoint squad members. During a vision its revealed to him that he is completely unable to resist the programming of Sixth Sense, and that his continued existence proves as a danger to all of humanity. Meerkat who is speaking from the future through a pre-recorded message prior to her death, reveals that for humanity to exist, Talisman must destroy himself. Talisman agrees and escapes the prison managing to enter the headquarters of the Sapphire program. He activates a bomb and destroys the entire facility killing himself in the process.

In a post-credit scene its revealed that Meerkat was not a member from a future rebellion, but instead Sixth Sense herself who noticing the destruction caused by her actions sought to prevent her own rise to power using the Sapphire program. Meerkat was the clone body of her daughter who had died during humanities downfall to robots malfunctioning from the Sapphire program.

Release

Accolades

Award	Category	Recipient	Result
Catherinsk Film Festival	Best Film	Vasyl Tokar	Won
	Best Director		Won
	Best Actor	Yukhym Sirenko	Won
	Best Actress	Olesya Ruban	Won
	Best Supporting Actress	Antonina Korzh	Won
	Best Cinematography	Valerij Quintal	Won
	Best Soundtrack	Valerij Stepanenko	Won
	Best Screenplay	Adam Morhun	Won
	Best Visual Effects	Sofiia Kutsok, Kobel Prohasko, Badiul Oliynyk, Aleks Boyko	Won