Demonstration of the alternative documentary films takes place in Minsk (photos)

The Belarusian opening night of the films The Journalists by Aleh Dashkievich and From the Locals’ Life by Tattsiana Dubaviets took place in the intellectual club format with the support of the Movement for Freedom (MFF).

A 26 minute documentary film named From the Locals’ Life by the employee of the Vilnius Television Tattsiana Dubaviets is a sketch about the dwellers of the Vilnius area (formerly Vilnia, Belarus) – the Belarusians with Lithuanian passports who, thanks only to the geographical proximity of the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, have still preserved the traits of the Belarusian identity, though they don’t usually think of it in their day-to-day life.

According to the director, she have known the heroes of her film well for several years now, and likes them much, therefore it was easy and pleasant to shoot this film. And, though the Belarusians of the Vilnius area – who amount to 20% of the local population – don’t show any political activity, and don’t feel their national identity all too often, Dubaviets understands them well: “By far not everyone can be a hero. The local people have to adapt to the reality of the surrounding life in order to survive, to preserve their kindred, and to defend their family”.

“I do live here, but don’t bother me. I want to be as I am”, is the attitude of the local people, according to the film’s author.

The participants of the viewing pointed out that the life of the Lithuanian Belarusians is very similar to the life of the typical Belarusian province – it just appears to be more cultural and beautiful.

The film by Aleh Dashkievich named The Journalists tells about the problems of the freedom of speech in Belarus, and about the life and work of the independent journalists in our country.

“I didn’t want to show some kind of a poster – we are working and being persecuted… I wanted to show real life: a person having a family, work, and so on”, the director explains his concept. It looks like he succeeded.

In fact, after it was shown at the Baltic Forum in Riga, several funds and organizations expressed their will to support the distribution of the film. The Journalists was demonstrated on the TV in Germany, Finland, Poland, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, etc. The film got in the chart of the ten socially important films of one of the major documentary films festival traditionally held in Amsterdam. The film was also demonstrated at the festivals in several Asian and Latin American countries. The Belarusian opening night was postponed for several reasons.

“Though the film was created as early as in 2008, its demonstration in Belarus became the final chord. There is something good in the fact that it is here that the circle has closed. Finally, the Belarusian journalists saw this film”, the author of the work Dashkievich says.

The creators and the heroes of the films, the journalists, and the representatives of the intellectuals were present at the public demonstration of these documentary films that was arranged in a Minsk coffee bar, including Aleh Mindlin, Vadzim Aleksandrovich, Vital Taras, Yury Khashchavatski, Tattsiana Matafonava, and others.

 

 

 

 

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