Mara

Production year: 2022
Country: Belarus
Director:Sasha Kulak
Producers: Louis Beaudemont & Ksenia Goreinstein
Co-producer: Paata Godziashvili

In 2020 the city of Minsk, Belarus, overflows with massive anti-government protests. People take to the streets to defend their dream and object to the state of anxiety they have been living in for years. Swinging back and forth between fear and fearlessness, they look for the solidarity of the police, who have been deployed onto the streets to put an end to this same dream and mute their voices.

In this new hybrid documentary and video essay, director Sasha Kulak juxtaposes documentary footage with performative elements. She introduces a dreamy figure – Mara – who takes us on a journey among the protesting crowds. Mara’s symbolic presence contrasts with the harsh reality of the street. There is a determination to Mara, but also a fragility – as if her persona reflects the collective mental state of the protesters witnessing their dream turn into a nightmare.