Oliver Stone lived his heyday as one of the most celebrated directors in Hollywood with his acclaimed titles, including Wall Street and Kevin Costner-starrer JFK. Stone, who also has two Oscars to his credit for directing Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, however, found himself amid an investigation.
Oliver Stone. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
A report published by a team of investigative journalists from Europe links the acclaimed director to real dictators as Stone was allegedly roped in to whitewash a few dictators in a series of documentaries. Stone finally broke his silence over the matter.
A Report Linked Oliver Stone With Real Dictators Oliver Stone. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (Occrp) alongside a few European outlets organized an investigation against the celebrated director Oliver Stone. The investigation found that he was exclusively linked with a series of unmade documentary projects that would be...
Oliver Stone. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
A report published by a team of investigative journalists from Europe links the acclaimed director to real dictators as Stone was allegedly roped in to whitewash a few dictators in a series of documentaries. Stone finally broke his silence over the matter.
A Report Linked Oliver Stone With Real Dictators Oliver Stone. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (Occrp) alongside a few European outlets organized an investigation against the celebrated director Oliver Stone. The investigation found that he was exclusively linked with a series of unmade documentary projects that would be...
- 4/2/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
You can feel white hot anger bubbling like magma just beneath the surface of Agnieszka Holland’s excoriating drama about the brutal situation for refugees on the Poland/Belrus border. No wonder then, perhaps, that when it was released in Poland the then-ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party responded with a hate campaign attacking the director. President Andrzej Duda compared it to Nazi propaganda and described it as “anti-Polish”. PiS even went as far as to try to force cinemas to show a 30-second propaganda film entitled Safe Poland before Green Border, though many refused.
The truth, as they say, hurts. Holland pulls no punches as she offers a multiple-perspective look at the brutal state of affairs that was created when Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko lured refugees to his country’s border with Poland with talk of how easily they would be able to enter the European Union. The reality was the polar opposite.
The truth, as they say, hurts. Holland pulls no punches as she offers a multiple-perspective look at the brutal state of affairs that was created when Belarussian dictator Alexander Lukashenko lured refugees to his country’s border with Poland with talk of how easily they would be able to enter the European Union. The reality was the polar opposite.
- 3/19/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Updated on March 10, 2024, at 5:43 am Pt with comments from Oliver Stone.
A team of investigative journalists in Europe has published a new report that links Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone to a planned series of documentaries intended to act as de facto propaganda for several autocratic leaders worldwide.
The investigation — a joint effort by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (Occrp), German public broadcaster Zdf, Austrian newspaper Der Standard, German news magazine Der Spiegel and independent Kazakhstan media outlet Vlast — found that Russian American producer Igor Lopatonok pitched a series of hagiographic documentaries about such notorious leaders as Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which were to star Stone as the on-air interviewer.
In an interview with Occrp, Lopatonok said Stone was aware of the projects and supported them, though the investigation did not turn up a direct link to the director to support that claim.
A team of investigative journalists in Europe has published a new report that links Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone to a planned series of documentaries intended to act as de facto propaganda for several autocratic leaders worldwide.
The investigation — a joint effort by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (Occrp), German public broadcaster Zdf, Austrian newspaper Der Standard, German news magazine Der Spiegel and independent Kazakhstan media outlet Vlast — found that Russian American producer Igor Lopatonok pitched a series of hagiographic documentaries about such notorious leaders as Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which were to star Stone as the on-air interviewer.
In an interview with Occrp, Lopatonok said Stone was aware of the projects and supported them, though the investigation did not turn up a direct link to the director to support that claim.
- 3/8/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
All3Media International has boarded documentary “The Accidental President” about Belarusian political activist – and 2020 presidential candidate – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky decided to run against Alexander Lukashenko the same year, only to be arrested. As a result, she entered herself into the race. Although she reportedly won the popular vote, after Lukashenko – who has been in the office since 1994 – was declared a winner once again, forcing her into exile.
In 2025, Lukashenko intends to seek reelection.
The company has joined forces with Roast Beef Productions– also behind “Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell?” and “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer” – while Mike Lerner and Martin Herring direct.
“The Accidental President” is produced in association with All3Media International, Germany’s Ndr and Doc Society.
All3Media International is also behind “Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League,” “Escape to the Chateau,” “Great British Menu” and “Four in a Bed.” Its formats include “The Traitors,...
Her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky decided to run against Alexander Lukashenko the same year, only to be arrested. As a result, she entered herself into the race. Although she reportedly won the popular vote, after Lukashenko – who has been in the office since 1994 – was declared a winner once again, forcing her into exile.
In 2025, Lukashenko intends to seek reelection.
The company has joined forces with Roast Beef Productions– also behind “Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell?” and “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer” – while Mike Lerner and Martin Herring direct.
“The Accidental President” is produced in association with All3Media International, Germany’s Ndr and Doc Society.
All3Media International is also behind “Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League,” “Escape to the Chateau,” “Great British Menu” and “Four in a Bed.” Its formats include “The Traitors,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Taylor Swift, Barbie and Hollywood strikers are among the nine contenders for Time’s 2023 Person of the Year, the magazine announced today.
Also up for the designation, in addition to various world figures, is Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
The annual selection chooses the individual, group, or concept that has had the most influence on the world throughout the previous 12 months. The 2023 Person of the Year will be announced on Wednesday.
The nine candidates were announced on NBC’s Today show this morning. See the full list below.
In considering the striking Hollywood writers and actors, Time said the workers displayed “a rare show of the power of both labor and the entertainment industry.”
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, Time said, “made clear the possibility for theatrical success remains even in a streaming world,” while Swift was noted for the re-release of her albums and “the highest-grossing global tour of all time.
Also up for the designation, in addition to various world figures, is Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
The annual selection chooses the individual, group, or concept that has had the most influence on the world throughout the previous 12 months. The 2023 Person of the Year will be announced on Wednesday.
The nine candidates were announced on NBC’s Today show this morning. See the full list below.
In considering the striking Hollywood writers and actors, Time said the workers displayed “a rare show of the power of both labor and the entertainment industry.”
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, Time said, “made clear the possibility for theatrical success remains even in a streaming world,” while Swift was noted for the re-release of her albums and “the highest-grossing global tour of all time.
- 12/4/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The medium is the message in Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border, a piece of political cinema so freshly ripped from the headlines that you can still feel the jagged edges. Holland shot the film, which chronicles the wide ripple effects of a 2021 surge of asylum seekers along the Polish-Belarusian border, in just 23 days in March of this year and had it ready for fall festivals mere months later. In the end, her sense of propulsive, incandescent outrage is both the project’s reason for existence and its strongest attribute.
Holland, directing in collaboration with Kamila Tarabura and Katarzyna Warzecha, resists the impulse for urgency to trump all aesthetic considerations. Green Border moves beyond documentary-style realism as a shorthand for authenticity, and it’s at its most gut-wrenching when Tomek Naumiuk’s agile camerawork captures bodies in frequent, frightening motion, as well as the illusory sense of security that those bodies feel in moments of rest.
Holland, directing in collaboration with Kamila Tarabura and Katarzyna Warzecha, resists the impulse for urgency to trump all aesthetic considerations. Green Border moves beyond documentary-style realism as a shorthand for authenticity, and it’s at its most gut-wrenching when Tomek Naumiuk’s agile camerawork captures bodies in frequent, frightening motion, as well as the illusory sense of security that those bodies feel in moments of rest.
- 10/9/2023
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
It’s a strange time for Agnieszka Holland. Green Border, the new film from the acclaimed Polish director — a three-time Oscar nominee — just celebrated the best opening for a Polish movie in cinemas this year with 137,000 admissions over its first weekend, according to local distributor Kino Świat. It’s particularly impressive given that the film, a black-and-white drama depicting the real-life plight of refugees stranded on the natural border between Poland and Belarus, can be a rough watch.
In late 2021, thousands of refugees from the Middle East and Africa were lured to the Polish border by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who cynically engineered a geopolitical crisis, promising migrants easy passage over the Polish border into the European Union. But the Polish government refused to let them in, leaving families stranded and starving in the swampy, treacherous forests between the two countries. Holland’s film intertwines the perspectives of the stranded refugees,...
In late 2021, thousands of refugees from the Middle East and Africa were lured to the Polish border by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who cynically engineered a geopolitical crisis, promising migrants easy passage over the Polish border into the European Union. But the Polish government refused to let them in, leaving families stranded and starving in the swampy, treacherous forests between the two countries. Holland’s film intertwines the perspectives of the stranded refugees,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three-time Oscar-nominated Polish director Agnieszka Holland is going ahead with her defamation suit against Poland’s justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro after Ziobro refused to apologize for public comments in which he compared Holland’s new film, the refugee drama Green Border, to “Nazi propaganda.”
A court in Warsaw has upheld Holland’s right to pursue the case, in which she is demanding an apology for the comments and calling on Ziobro to make a charitable donation of 50,000 Polish zlotys ($11,600) to an association that helps Holocaust survivors.
Ziobro, a leading member of Poland’s right-wing conservative government, made the comments on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, Sept. 4, ahead of Green Border‘s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Green Border is a dramatization of the real-life plight of refugees caught on the natural border between Belarus and Poland. The refugees were lured there by propaganda from Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko,...
A court in Warsaw has upheld Holland’s right to pursue the case, in which she is demanding an apology for the comments and calling on Ziobro to make a charitable donation of 50,000 Polish zlotys ($11,600) to an association that helps Holocaust survivors.
Ziobro, a leading member of Poland’s right-wing conservative government, made the comments on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, Sept. 4, ahead of Green Border‘s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Green Border is a dramatization of the real-life plight of refugees caught on the natural border between Belarus and Poland. The refugees were lured there by propaganda from Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Agnieszka Holland has been forced to take 24-hour security protection as she returns to her native Poland for the theatrical release of migrant drama Green Border in the face of a fierce political backlash and online hate campaign.
“The situation is very dynamic and keeps changing. I’m trying to keep a sane mind but it’s dangerous. This campaign could provoke real violence, not only verbal violence. It only takes one deranged person to take it seriously,” Holland told Deadline as she traveled to a pre-screening event Thursday.
Green Border, which opens in Poland on Friday, tackles the migrant crisis along Poland’s thickly forested border with Belarus, which Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is widely accused of engineering by encouraging people to travel to his country on the promise they can easily cross over to Poland and the European Union.
The film has touched a raw nerve with Poland’s ruling right-wing,...
“The situation is very dynamic and keeps changing. I’m trying to keep a sane mind but it’s dangerous. This campaign could provoke real violence, not only verbal violence. It only takes one deranged person to take it seriously,” Holland told Deadline as she traveled to a pre-screening event Thursday.
Green Border, which opens in Poland on Friday, tackles the migrant crisis along Poland’s thickly forested border with Belarus, which Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko is widely accused of engineering by encouraging people to travel to his country on the promise they can easily cross over to Poland and the European Union.
The film has touched a raw nerve with Poland’s ruling right-wing,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Directors’ Guild of America has released a statement in support of DGA member Agnieszka Holland. The Polish Minister of Justice criticized the film and the filmmaker, “The Green Border.” She has since received hundreds of threats. The controversy came about due to the film’s depiction of the negative treatment of immigrants in Poland.
“The Directors Guild of America champions creative expression through the art of filmmaking and decries the recent attacks by the Polish Justice Minister and extremists on our member director Agnieszka Holland for her depictions of the brutality faced by refugees to Poland in her film ‘The Green Border’,” the statement read.
“We firmly believe directors like Agnieszka have a vital role to play in fostering discussion and reflecting societal problems through their work. We echo the statements by the Federation of European Screen Directors (Fera) and the European Film Academy in support of Agnieska and...
“The Directors Guild of America champions creative expression through the art of filmmaking and decries the recent attacks by the Polish Justice Minister and extremists on our member director Agnieszka Holland for her depictions of the brutality faced by refugees to Poland in her film ‘The Green Border’,” the statement read.
“We firmly believe directors like Agnieszka have a vital role to play in fostering discussion and reflecting societal problems through their work. We echo the statements by the Federation of European Screen Directors (Fera) and the European Film Academy in support of Agnieska and...
- 9/21/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Veteran Polish director Agnieszka Holland’s Venice Special Jury Prize-winning refugee drama Green Border will release as planned in Poland on September 22 in defiance of a political backlash and wave of online hate talk.
Inspired by real-life events along Poland’s border with Belarus, the film has touched a raw nerve with the ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for its depictions of Polish border guards pushing back and abusing newly arrived refugees.
Public criticism of the film by coalition politicians has been accompanied by a wave of extreme online hate talk against Holland, some of it antisemitic, calling on her to be tried for treason or expelled from Poland.
Sales agent Jean-Christophe Simon at Films Boutique announced on Wednesday (September 13) that the company been forced to disable the comments on social media pages promoting the film, after they were targeted by right-wing groups.
Inspired by real-life events along Poland’s border with Belarus, the film has touched a raw nerve with the ruling right-wing, anti-migrant coalition led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party for its depictions of Polish border guards pushing back and abusing newly arrived refugees.
Public criticism of the film by coalition politicians has been accompanied by a wave of extreme online hate talk against Holland, some of it antisemitic, calling on her to be tried for treason or expelled from Poland.
Sales agent Jean-Christophe Simon at Films Boutique announced on Wednesday (September 13) that the company been forced to disable the comments on social media pages promoting the film, after they were targeted by right-wing groups.
- 9/14/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Three-time Academy Award nominee Agnieszka Holland has called out a hard-right Polish minister who compared her refugee drama “Green Border” to Nazi propaganda, accusing him of “hate speech” and insisting that the Eastern European nation’s right-wing ruling party is “afraid” of her film’s damning portrayal of its response to the refugee crisis. The movie is competing for a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival this week.
“We expected that they would be furious. They are afraid of this subject. They know we are telling the truth,” Holland said, speaking from the Venice Film Festival. “They are in denial — cynical denial, in my opinion. And they didn’t think that we would be so vocal about it — that our voice would be heard in many places.”
On Monday, Poland’s hard-right justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “In the Third Reich, the...
“We expected that they would be furious. They are afraid of this subject. They know we are telling the truth,” Holland said, speaking from the Venice Film Festival. “They are in denial — cynical denial, in my opinion. And they didn’t think that we would be so vocal about it — that our voice would be heard in many places.”
On Monday, Poland’s hard-right justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “In the Third Reich, the...
- 9/6/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
If cinema is an empathy machine, to paraphrase the late Roger Ebert, then Agnieszka Holland’s new film is one precision-tooled specimen.
This profoundly moving, flawlessly executed multi-strand drama, shot in stark black and white, tracks refugees from various nations in 2021 trying to cross the border from Belarus into Poland. With inevitably tragic consequences, they become pawns in a gruesome game of “pass the parcel” between guards on both sides of the title’s green border, the dividing line between European Union member Poland and Russia ally Belarus.
Although the violence shown isn’t gratuitous, the suffering in Green Border (Zielona granica) is painfully palpable. There is a moment where a Pole, a minor character in the story, refuses to look at a video on a friend’s phone showing a border guard beating a migrant; Holland’s film implicitly confronts everyone — and that would be most of us — who...
This profoundly moving, flawlessly executed multi-strand drama, shot in stark black and white, tracks refugees from various nations in 2021 trying to cross the border from Belarus into Poland. With inevitably tragic consequences, they become pawns in a gruesome game of “pass the parcel” between guards on both sides of the title’s green border, the dividing line between European Union member Poland and Russia ally Belarus.
Although the violence shown isn’t gratuitous, the suffering in Green Border (Zielona granica) is painfully palpable. There is a moment where a Pole, a minor character in the story, refuses to look at a video on a friend’s phone showing a border guard beating a migrant; Holland’s film implicitly confronts everyone — and that would be most of us — who...
- 9/6/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Venice film festival: Agnieszka Holland’s brutal and timely drama shines a dark spotlight on the horrors faced by refugees in the exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus
At 74, Polish film-maker Agnieszka Holland has lost none of her passion – or compassion – and this brutal, angry, gruelling drama, in sombre black and white, is recognisably the work of that director who made Europa Europa in 1990. It is about the “green border” exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus, now the location for an apparently unending ordeal for refugees.
With sly malice, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has in recent years permitted the admission of refugees, cynically encouraging their hope of getting easily from there on foot across the border into Poland and the EU via the Białowieża Forest – but only as a way of punishing and undermining the European Union for its anti-Belarus sanctions. He has effectively weaponised these desperate souls and the...
At 74, Polish film-maker Agnieszka Holland has lost none of her passion – or compassion – and this brutal, angry, gruelling drama, in sombre black and white, is recognisably the work of that director who made Europa Europa in 1990. It is about the “green border” exclusion zone between Poland and Belarus, now the location for an apparently unending ordeal for refugees.
With sly malice, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko has in recent years permitted the admission of refugees, cynically encouraging their hope of getting easily from there on foot across the border into Poland and the EU via the Białowieża Forest – but only as a way of punishing and undermining the European Union for its anti-Belarus sanctions. He has effectively weaponised these desperate souls and the...
- 9/5/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Academy Award nominee Agnieszka Holland follows the harrowing ordeal of a refugee family trapped on the margins of the E.U. in “Green Border,” a gripping drama from the prolific Polish director that plays in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
The film is set in the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so-called “green border” between Belarus and Poland and focuses on the humanitarian catastrophe that unfolded when Belarus’ president, Alexander Lukashenko, opened the country’s doors to migrants in a cynical political gambit to flood the E.U. with refugees.
Told in chapters from alternating points of view, it tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees, an English teacher from Afghanistan, a young Polish border guard and a group of activists whose lives collide in the border zone, a bleak no-man’s land where Polish and Belarusian guards operate with brutal impunity.
The screenplay — written by Holland,...
The film is set in the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so-called “green border” between Belarus and Poland and focuses on the humanitarian catastrophe that unfolded when Belarus’ president, Alexander Lukashenko, opened the country’s doors to migrants in a cynical political gambit to flood the E.U. with refugees.
Told in chapters from alternating points of view, it tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees, an English teacher from Afghanistan, a young Polish border guard and a group of activists whose lives collide in the border zone, a bleak no-man’s land where Polish and Belarusian guards operate with brutal impunity.
The screenplay — written by Holland,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Triple Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border,” which will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, before going onto Toronto Film Festival and New York Film Festival, has sold to multiple territories. Variety has been granted access to an exclusive clip from the film, and Holland’s notes on the production, which we quote from below, again exclusively.
The film’s international sales agency, Films Boutique, has sold the film to the following distributors and territories: Vercine in Spain, Panda Lichtspiele in Austria, Kino Pavasaris for the Baltics, Art Fest in Bulgaria, Magic Box in Slovakia, Fivia in Slovenia, Vertigo in Hungary and Bio Paradis in Iceland.
The film, as previously announced, has also been sold to Condor (France), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Leopardo Filmes (Portugal), McF Megacom (former Yugoslavia), Kino Swiat (Poland) and Aqs (Czech Rep./Slovakia).
“Green Border” is set in the treacherous and...
The film’s international sales agency, Films Boutique, has sold the film to the following distributors and territories: Vercine in Spain, Panda Lichtspiele in Austria, Kino Pavasaris for the Baltics, Art Fest in Bulgaria, Magic Box in Slovakia, Fivia in Slovenia, Vertigo in Hungary and Bio Paradis in Iceland.
The film, as previously announced, has also been sold to Condor (France), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Leopardo Filmes (Portugal), McF Megacom (former Yugoslavia), Kino Swiat (Poland) and Aqs (Czech Rep./Slovakia).
“Green Border” is set in the treacherous and...
- 8/29/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
It’s hard to imagine anyone was particularly surprised at the sudden demise on Wednesday of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the ultranationalist entrepreneur who founded the mercenary Wagner Group. An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since the former Kgb agent made the transition to local politics in post-Soviet-collapse Saint Petersburg in the 1990s, Prigozhin died when the business jet in which he was flying crashed in a field northwest of Moscow – only two months after a public falling out with his boss.
“I want to express my most sincere condolences...
“I want to express my most sincere condolences...
- 8/26/2023
- by Mac William Bishop
- Rollingstone.com
Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group commanders held a meeting with Vladimir Putin for three hours after the Wagner Group rebellion in order to pledge their loyalty to the Russian government.
At the June 29 meeting, Putin assessed Wagner’s strategies and actions on the war in Ukraine and the revolt.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, publicly announced this meeting for the first time yesterday.
“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened,” he said. “They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland.”
Putin originally labeled Prigozhin as a traitor and was planning on punishing him harshly or even killing him. He later changed his mind and the two men came to an agreement. The criminal case against Prigozhin was dropped, but he was exiled from Russia.
At the June 29 meeting, Putin assessed Wagner’s strategies and actions on the war in Ukraine and the revolt.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, publicly announced this meeting for the first time yesterday.
“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened,” he said. “They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland.”
Putin originally labeled Prigozhin as a traitor and was planning on punishing him harshly or even killing him. He later changed his mind and the two men came to an agreement. The criminal case against Prigozhin was dropped, but he was exiled from Russia.
- 7/11/2023
- by Nina Hauswirth
- Uinterview
Pictures of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin wearing a set of outlandish disguises have leaked and circulated across Russian media. The images were reportedly found during a Federal Security Service (Fsb) raid of one of his properties in St. Petersburg.
The photos were spread by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and broadcast on state-run TV. The pictures reveal many of Prigozhin’s disguises, using wigs, beards, glasses and uniforms. Reports concluded that in one photo, Prigozhin was impersonating a diplomatic aide from Abu Dhabi. In another, he appeared as a staffer from Sudan’s Defense Ministry.
В интернет слили «подставные личности» Евгения Пригожина, которые он мог использовать для работы ЧВК за пределами России
СМИ пишут, что нашли во время обысков в его доме. Сейчас пользователи активно обсуждают их и шутят. Например, предлагают выбрать, «какой ты Пригожин сегодня».… pic.twitter.com/zpl7h1VSfG
— Газета.Ru (@GazetaRu) July 6, 2023
Many speculate that this reporting is...
The photos were spread by pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and broadcast on state-run TV. The pictures reveal many of Prigozhin’s disguises, using wigs, beards, glasses and uniforms. Reports concluded that in one photo, Prigozhin was impersonating a diplomatic aide from Abu Dhabi. In another, he appeared as a staffer from Sudan’s Defense Ministry.
В интернет слили «подставные личности» Евгения Пригожина, которые он мог использовать для работы ЧВК за пределами России
СМИ пишут, что нашли во время обысков в его доме. Сейчас пользователи активно обсуждают их и шутят. Например, предлагают выбрать, «какой ты Пригожин сегодня».… pic.twitter.com/zpl7h1VSfG
— Газета.Ru (@GazetaRu) July 6, 2023
Many speculate that this reporting is...
- 7/10/2023
- by Alex Nguyen
- Uinterview
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that he was the person to convince Vladimir Putin to allow Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner, to escape to Belarus after the Wagner uprising he led failed last Saturday.
At a press conference, Lukashenko said that he attempted to persuade Prigozhin to not start a rebellion against Moscow and Russia’s leadership, but was unsuccessful.
Lukashenko recalled that Prigozhin was “half-crazed,” as he yelled obscenities at him for half an hour while on the phone which “was 10 times more” than his usual amount of obscenities. Lukashenko believes that Prigozhin was unaware that his life was in danger by starting this revolt.
He asserted that Prigozhin wanted to demand that Putin hand over the chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Lukashenko told Prigozhin that he was sure he would not be successful in his demands.
Lukashenko additionally claimed that...
At a press conference, Lukashenko said that he attempted to persuade Prigozhin to not start a rebellion against Moscow and Russia’s leadership, but was unsuccessful.
Lukashenko recalled that Prigozhin was “half-crazed,” as he yelled obscenities at him for half an hour while on the phone which “was 10 times more” than his usual amount of obscenities. Lukashenko believes that Prigozhin was unaware that his life was in danger by starting this revolt.
He asserted that Prigozhin wanted to demand that Putin hand over the chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Lukashenko told Prigozhin that he was sure he would not be successful in his demands.
Lukashenko additionally claimed that...
- 6/30/2023
- by Nina Hauswirth
- Uinterview
During the 2023 Roland Garros, Aryna Sabalenka found herself at the center of attention not just for her stellar performance.
After a very long time, the Belarusian appeared in a press conference. After her third-round win, she spoke only to selected journalists and following Sabalenka's victory in the fourth round, she spoke only to one reporter from the Wta.
It was all because she was not feeling safe during her press conference after the second-round win, but that changed after the quarterfinal victory over Elina Svitolina. Responding to the political queries, the 25-year-old explained why she appeared on the pictures with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko before.
"Well, we played a lot of Fed Cups in Belarus. He was in our matches taking pictures with us after the match. Nothing bad was happening that time in Belarus or in Ukraine or in Russia. And I said it many times already, I'm not supporting war.
After a very long time, the Belarusian appeared in a press conference. After her third-round win, she spoke only to selected journalists and following Sabalenka's victory in the fourth round, she spoke only to one reporter from the Wta.
It was all because she was not feeling safe during her press conference after the second-round win, but that changed after the quarterfinal victory over Elina Svitolina. Responding to the political queries, the 25-year-old explained why she appeared on the pictures with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko before.
"Well, we played a lot of Fed Cups in Belarus. He was in our matches taking pictures with us after the match. Nothing bad was happening that time in Belarus or in Ukraine or in Russia. And I said it many times already, I'm not supporting war.
- 6/6/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Once again, Aryna Sabalenka won't be having a classic press conference at the 2023 Roland Garros.
In the fourth round of the 2023 Roland Garros, the second-seeded Belarusian outplayed Sloane Stephens from the United States to book her quarterfinal spot against Elina Svitolina who eliminated the ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina earlier on the day.
During the event, the potential new World No.1 on the Wta Tour, has been making headlines not just for her performances on the court, but also for her conduct off it. Following her third-round victory, Sabalenka made the unusual decision to turn down a general press conference, a move that caught many by surprise.
The controversy began during Sabalenka's first-round press conference when a reporter accused her of twisting words. The tension escalated after her second-round win against compatriot Iryna Shymanovich, when the same reporter questioned Sabalenka's political stance, specifically her support for Belarus' president Alexander Lukashenko amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In the fourth round of the 2023 Roland Garros, the second-seeded Belarusian outplayed Sloane Stephens from the United States to book her quarterfinal spot against Elina Svitolina who eliminated the ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina earlier on the day.
During the event, the potential new World No.1 on the Wta Tour, has been making headlines not just for her performances on the court, but also for her conduct off it. Following her third-round victory, Sabalenka made the unusual decision to turn down a general press conference, a move that caught many by surprise.
The controversy began during Sabalenka's first-round press conference when a reporter accused her of twisting words. The tension escalated after her second-round win against compatriot Iryna Shymanovich, when the same reporter questioned Sabalenka's political stance, specifically her support for Belarus' president Alexander Lukashenko amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- 6/4/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Aryna Sabalenka created quite a moment of confusion at Roland Garros with her request to hold a 'closed off' press conference.
The Belarusian clashed with a reporter in her previous press conference as they questioned her support towards Belarus' president. The player didn't want to go through that again so she asked the event to organize a 'closed off' press conference, citing mental health as a reason for the request.
She was ultimately granted that request and she held a smaller press conference without the Ukrainian journalist that grilled her on her support for Alexander Lukashenko. In the closed press conference, she addressed the whole matter explaining that she really didn't feel safe last time around.
Yeah, after my match I spoke with the media like I normally do. I know they still expect some questions that are more about politics and not so much about my tennis. For many...
The Belarusian clashed with a reporter in her previous press conference as they questioned her support towards Belarus' president. The player didn't want to go through that again so she asked the event to organize a 'closed off' press conference, citing mental health as a reason for the request.
She was ultimately granted that request and she held a smaller press conference without the Ukrainian journalist that grilled her on her support for Alexander Lukashenko. In the closed press conference, she addressed the whole matter explaining that she really didn't feel safe last time around.
Yeah, after my match I spoke with the media like I normally do. I know they still expect some questions that are more about politics and not so much about my tennis. For many...
- 6/4/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Aryna Sabalenka clashed with reporter at the 2023 Roland Garros after her second-round match.
So far, the Belarusian doesn't have a lot of troubles on the court at this year's Roland Garros. In the first round, she comfortably cruised past Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine, and a similar result awaited her in the second round against fellow compatriot Iryna Shymanovich.
However, she is having a lot of problems and problematic questions off the tennis court. Ahead of the tournament, she was asked about her meeting with the Ukrainian. Sabalenka stated that she expects no handshake, but showed that she knows why her opponent has to make that decision.
After the match, she was asked a question by a journalist who demanded to know what's the Belarusian's stance regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. The journalist accused Sabalenka of twisting words as the Belarusian responded that there are no athletes that support the war,...
So far, the Belarusian doesn't have a lot of troubles on the court at this year's Roland Garros. In the first round, she comfortably cruised past Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine, and a similar result awaited her in the second round against fellow compatriot Iryna Shymanovich.
However, she is having a lot of problems and problematic questions off the tennis court. Ahead of the tournament, she was asked about her meeting with the Ukrainian. Sabalenka stated that she expects no handshake, but showed that she knows why her opponent has to make that decision.
After the match, she was asked a question by a journalist who demanded to know what's the Belarusian's stance regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. The journalist accused Sabalenka of twisting words as the Belarusian responded that there are no athletes that support the war,...
- 5/31/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Valery Tsepkalo, the opposition leader in Belarus, shared in a Telegram and Twitter post this weekend that President Alexander Lukashenko, 68, was admitted into a Moscow hospital and is in “critical condition” following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to preliminary information, subject to further confirmation, #Lukashenko was urgently transported to Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital after his closed-door meeting with #Putin. Currently, he remains under medical care there. Leading specialists have been mobilized to… pic.twitter.com/xTQ1O7Yp2W
— Valery Tsepkalo (@ValeryTsepkalo) May 27, 2023
Rumors in the media about Lukashenko’s health spread quickly when he showed up at Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9 with a bandage on his right hand and had difficulty maintaining balance while standing.
Thirty-nine Russian officials have died in the last year under mysterious circumstances.
He also did not make an appearance at the annual National Flag, Emblem and Anthem Day...
According to preliminary information, subject to further confirmation, #Lukashenko was urgently transported to Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital after his closed-door meeting with #Putin. Currently, he remains under medical care there. Leading specialists have been mobilized to… pic.twitter.com/xTQ1O7Yp2W
— Valery Tsepkalo (@ValeryTsepkalo) May 27, 2023
Rumors in the media about Lukashenko’s health spread quickly when he showed up at Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9 with a bandage on his right hand and had difficulty maintaining balance while standing.
Thirty-nine Russian officials have died in the last year under mysterious circumstances.
He also did not make an appearance at the annual National Flag, Emblem and Anthem Day...
- 5/29/2023
- by Alex Nguyen
- Uinterview
Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed multiple territory deals on Agnieszka Holland’s “The Green Border,” which just completed principal photography in Poland.
The film has been sold to Condor (France), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Leopardo Filmes (Portugal), McF Megacom (former Yugoslavia), Kino Swiat (Poland) and Aqs (Czech Rep./Slovakia).
“The Green Border” tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees, a solitary English teacher from Afghanistan and a young border guard, all of whom meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis triggered by Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, who opened the country’s doors to migrants as a back door to enter the EU.
The screenplay, penned by Holland, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko and Maciej Pisuk, is inspired by real events. Research for the film included hundreds of hours of document analysis, interviews with refugees, border guards, borderland residents, activists and experts.
A co-production between Poland,...
The film has been sold to Condor (France), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Leopardo Filmes (Portugal), McF Megacom (former Yugoslavia), Kino Swiat (Poland) and Aqs (Czech Rep./Slovakia).
“The Green Border” tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees, a solitary English teacher from Afghanistan and a young border guard, all of whom meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis triggered by Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, who opened the country’s doors to migrants as a back door to enter the EU.
The screenplay, penned by Holland, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko and Maciej Pisuk, is inspired by real events. Research for the film included hundreds of hours of document analysis, interviews with refugees, border guards, borderland residents, activists and experts.
A co-production between Poland,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Leo Barraclough and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Former Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky has criticised Aryna Sabalenka's recent comments about stopping the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this week, world number two Sabalenka explained that she would want to war to end if possible. In addition, the Belarusian player said comments made by the nation's president, Alexander Lukashenko, were not helpful after the political figure praised the Wta player.
However, Sabalenka's attempts to support Ukraine and oppose the ongoing conflict have not convinced everyone. Former Ukrainian player Stakhovsky took to his official Twitter page to openly criticise Sabalenka's recent statement about stopping the war.
"Aryna Sabalenka - 'If there would be anything I could do to stop the war, I would do it but the reality is a cannot do anything'. The fact is that she even didn’t try to stop this war and she definitely has the platform to try.
Ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this week, world number two Sabalenka explained that she would want to war to end if possible. In addition, the Belarusian player said comments made by the nation's president, Alexander Lukashenko, were not helpful after the political figure praised the Wta player.
However, Sabalenka's attempts to support Ukraine and oppose the ongoing conflict have not convinced everyone. Former Ukrainian player Stakhovsky took to his official Twitter page to openly criticise Sabalenka's recent statement about stopping the war.
"Aryna Sabalenka - 'If there would be anything I could do to stop the war, I would do it but the reality is a cannot do anything'. The fact is that she even didn’t try to stop this war and she definitely has the platform to try.
- 4/21/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Aryna Sabalenka has spoken out about Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's recent comments praising the player's achievements, saying that they are not "not helping".
Sabalenka has already spoken about the difficulties she has faced in the locker room because of her nationality. Her fears are now that the direct lauding of her accomplishments by such a prominent supporter of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will only intensify feelings of animosity towards the Belarusian player.
Lukashenko was a vocal supporter of Sabalenka's triumph at the Australian Open in January, and has more recently declared that everyone knows where she is from, despite Sabalenka playing under a neutral flag.
The issue of how to handle Russian and Belarusian athletes during the ongoing war in Ukraine has been highly contentious and fraught with emotion. Lukashenko's recent comments will only add fuel to the fire and do little to assuage the concerns of those who...
Sabalenka has already spoken about the difficulties she has faced in the locker room because of her nationality. Her fears are now that the direct lauding of her accomplishments by such a prominent supporter of Russia's invasion of Ukraine will only intensify feelings of animosity towards the Belarusian player.
Lukashenko was a vocal supporter of Sabalenka's triumph at the Australian Open in January, and has more recently declared that everyone knows where she is from, despite Sabalenka playing under a neutral flag.
The issue of how to handle Russian and Belarusian athletes during the ongoing war in Ukraine has been highly contentious and fraught with emotion. Lukashenko's recent comments will only add fuel to the fire and do little to assuage the concerns of those who...
- 4/19/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Aryna Sabalenka has confirmed that she feels the recent tension aimed at her from other Wta players.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, some Wta players have been outspoken about the ongoing hostilities between competitors on tour. Particular antagonism has been aimed at Russian and Belarusian players over the last year.
Some players have even refused to shake hands on the court as the tensions have gone beyond the locker room on some occasions. When asked about the current situation between players ahead of the upcoming Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Aryna Sabalenka spoke honestly about how she feels the dislike from her competitors.
"I mean, yeah, definitely I feel a lot of weird looking at me and, yeah, probably hate from some of the people."
Despite the antagonism aimed at her, Sabalenka was eager to explain her stance on the war again after she previously said...
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, some Wta players have been outspoken about the ongoing hostilities between competitors on tour. Particular antagonism has been aimed at Russian and Belarusian players over the last year.
Some players have even refused to shake hands on the court as the tensions have gone beyond the locker room on some occasions. When asked about the current situation between players ahead of the upcoming Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Aryna Sabalenka spoke honestly about how she feels the dislike from her competitors.
"I mean, yeah, definitely I feel a lot of weird looking at me and, yeah, probably hate from some of the people."
Despite the antagonism aimed at her, Sabalenka was eager to explain her stance on the war again after she previously said...
- 4/19/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Aryna Sabalenka is making her fans proud in 2023 but it seems that also Belarus' president Alexander Lukashenko.
The world no. 2, Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, recently made headlines when she publicly declared her support for global peace. Her comments caught the attention of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who addressed Sabalenka's anti-war stance in a recent statement.
Lukashenko assured the tennis star and other Belarusian athletes that he shares their sentiments, emphasizing that he too opposes war but believes the West is responsible for instigating conflict, an opinion not shared by tennis' governing bodies as the players from Russia and Belarus compete under a neutral flag.
"Look, I'm against the war. You are against the war too. Well, do you want to receive a statement from an athlete that he is against the war? I don't mind it. Let them say that they are against the war."
President Lukashenko also touched on...
The world no. 2, Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, recently made headlines when she publicly declared her support for global peace. Her comments caught the attention of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who addressed Sabalenka's anti-war stance in a recent statement.
Lukashenko assured the tennis star and other Belarusian athletes that he shares their sentiments, emphasizing that he too opposes war but believes the West is responsible for instigating conflict, an opinion not shared by tennis' governing bodies as the players from Russia and Belarus compete under a neutral flag.
"Look, I'm against the war. You are against the war too. Well, do you want to receive a statement from an athlete that he is against the war? I don't mind it. Let them say that they are against the war."
President Lukashenko also touched on...
- 4/8/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
‘Motherland’ Review: An Ominous Portrait of the Oppressive Culture of Cruelty in Post-Soviet Belarus
The very first words in the Belarusian national anthem, which is being sung devoutly at an army graduation ceremony as “Motherland” begins, are “We Belarusians are peaceful people.” It does not take long for the irony to bite. Grave skies heavy with snow frame the stark beauty of Siarhiej Kanaplianik’s camerawork, as Hanna Badziaka and Alexander Mihalkovich’s handsome, bitter film outlines something close to the inverse of that ideal: a culture of brutality, bullying and complicity that is fostered in the Belarusian military, and then seeps like the cold into the very bones of civilian society.
Dedovshchina, as some terse titles explain, translates to the benign-sounding “rule of Grandads.” But it describes a systematic code of psychological and physical abuse visited on new conscripts by their longer-serving colleagues, that the Belarusian military establishment, like that of other former Soviet countries, inherited from the Russian army. Most of the time,...
Dedovshchina, as some terse titles explain, translates to the benign-sounding “rule of Grandads.” But it describes a systematic code of psychological and physical abuse visited on new conscripts by their longer-serving colleagues, that the Belarusian military establishment, like that of other former Soviet countries, inherited from the Russian army. Most of the time,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Tehran, March 16 (Ians) Iran will export 45,000 cars to Belarus in three years, the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade said.
It was stipulated in an agreement signed between the two countries during Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent state visit to Tehran, official news agency Irna quoted Reza Fatemi-Amin on Wednesday as saying on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting.
The agreement is worth nearly $450 million, said the Iranian minister, adding it will increase the volume of annual trade between the two countries, which now stands at $16 million, Xinhua news agency reported.
During his meeting with Belarusian Minister of Industry Rogozhnik Alexander Nikolaevich on Monday, the two sides discussed trade through barter, said Fatemi-Amin, adding both countries’ financial infrastructure were prepared “to a great extent” to strengthen bilateral trade.
Nikolaevich is a member of the high-ranking delegation that was led by Lukashenko during his two-day trip to Iran. During the trip,...
It was stipulated in an agreement signed between the two countries during Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent state visit to Tehran, official news agency Irna quoted Reza Fatemi-Amin on Wednesday as saying on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting.
The agreement is worth nearly $450 million, said the Iranian minister, adding it will increase the volume of annual trade between the two countries, which now stands at $16 million, Xinhua news agency reported.
During his meeting with Belarusian Minister of Industry Rogozhnik Alexander Nikolaevich on Monday, the two sides discussed trade through barter, said Fatemi-Amin, adding both countries’ financial infrastructure were prepared “to a great extent” to strengthen bilateral trade.
Nikolaevich is a member of the high-ranking delegation that was led by Lukashenko during his two-day trip to Iran. During the trip,...
- 3/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
A Ukrainian expatriate group disseminated to press an open letter addressed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, questioning whether Top Gun: Maverick should be allowed to remain in this year’s Oscar race following reports the film was partly funded by a Russian oligarch who put money in the film as a silent investor in LA-based New Republic Pictures.
The mega-hit – in which Tom Cruise reprised his role as US Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell – is nominated for best picture, adapted screenplay, editing, original song, sound and visual effects in this year’s Academy Awards taking place this Sunday.
The Toronto-based Ukrainian World Congress (Uwc) asked AMPAS to review the film’s Oscar eligibility, following media reports in January that Russian billionaire Dimitry Rybolovlev indirectly helped finance the film. Rybolovlev is on a list of Russian businessmen sanctioned by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The purpose of the...
The mega-hit – in which Tom Cruise reprised his role as US Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell – is nominated for best picture, adapted screenplay, editing, original song, sound and visual effects in this year’s Academy Awards taking place this Sunday.
The Toronto-based Ukrainian World Congress (Uwc) asked AMPAS to review the film’s Oscar eligibility, following media reports in January that Russian billionaire Dimitry Rybolovlev indirectly helped finance the film. Rybolovlev is on a list of Russian businessmen sanctioned by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. The purpose of the...
- 3/8/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
A now-viral video of Vladimir Putin fidgeting with his legs is fuelling assumptions that his health seems to be deteriorating.
Videos have emerged of Putin’s meeting with Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, to discuss military expansion and economic cooperation amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. The footage shows the Russian President’s legs continuously fidgeting throughout his talks with his ally. Reactions to the video have been polarised, to say the least.
From ridicule to diagnosis, many viewers have taken to social media to express their interpretation of the video. In a tweet with over 4.7 million views, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, questioned whether the Russian autocrat is trying to communicate in morse code.
Putin's feet during his meeting with Lukashenko.
Is this Morse code? pic.twitter.com/eRmvSBDQOn
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 17, 2023
More importantly, however, Putin’s video has further fuelled...
Videos have emerged of Putin’s meeting with Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, to discuss military expansion and economic cooperation amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. The footage shows the Russian President’s legs continuously fidgeting throughout his talks with his ally. Reactions to the video have been polarised, to say the least.
From ridicule to diagnosis, many viewers have taken to social media to express their interpretation of the video. In a tweet with over 4.7 million views, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, questioned whether the Russian autocrat is trying to communicate in morse code.
Putin's feet during his meeting with Lukashenko.
Is this Morse code? pic.twitter.com/eRmvSBDQOn
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 17, 2023
More importantly, however, Putin’s video has further fuelled...
- 2/24/2023
- by Nicky Kashani
- Uinterview
Belarusian filmmakers and industry professionals gathered in Berlin on Friday to announce the launch of the Belarusian Film Academy (BIFA), an organization formed to give a platform to independent filmmakers in the repressive former Soviet republic and staunch Kremlin ally.
Born in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when more than 130 Belarusian filmmakers signed a collective statement condemning the unprovoked act of aggression, the academy was created to “solidify, unite and support” their voices, according to co-founder Volia Chajkouskaya.
“Living under state censorship and control, we have been searching for ways to unite for a long time,” said Chajkouskaya, a producer, director and founder of the Northern Lights Film Festival. “Since [the start of the Ukraine war], we all continued to face challenges individually and felt that we should unite in solidarity to form a unified front.”
The Belarusian Film Academy’s founding members are Chajkouskaya; director Aliaksei Paluyan, whose 2021 documentary “Courage” (pictured) played in Berlin; Darya Zhuk,...
Born in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when more than 130 Belarusian filmmakers signed a collective statement condemning the unprovoked act of aggression, the academy was created to “solidify, unite and support” their voices, according to co-founder Volia Chajkouskaya.
“Living under state censorship and control, we have been searching for ways to unite for a long time,” said Chajkouskaya, a producer, director and founder of the Northern Lights Film Festival. “Since [the start of the Ukraine war], we all continued to face challenges individually and felt that we should unite in solidarity to form a unified front.”
The Belarusian Film Academy’s founding members are Chajkouskaya; director Aliaksei Paluyan, whose 2021 documentary “Courage” (pictured) played in Berlin; Darya Zhuk,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
A possible future for Belarusian cinema was unveiled Friday in Berlin, when a group of Belarusian filmmakers, all of whom fled government repression and state-sponsored violence, launched the first independent Belarusian Film Academy.
Filmmakers Volia Chajkouskaya (Yoyogi), Aliaksei Paluyan (Courage), Darya Zhuk (Crystal Swan) and Andrei Kutsila (When Flowers Are Not Silent) founded the Academy together with festival programmer Igor Soukmanov and film critic Irena Kaciałovič.
In Berlin, they said the Academy would aim to “unite independent Belarusian filmmakers and bring their voices to the forefront of global consciousness,” to “disseminate information [about] the social and political crisis in Belarus and independent Belarusian cinema” and to “fight censorship restrictions and to defend artistic freedom.”
But they were also in Berlin to get down to business. With no access to state funding — the independent Academy is boycotting the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko — the filmmakers are eager to find co-producers and finance partners elsewhere in Europe.
Filmmakers Volia Chajkouskaya (Yoyogi), Aliaksei Paluyan (Courage), Darya Zhuk (Crystal Swan) and Andrei Kutsila (When Flowers Are Not Silent) founded the Academy together with festival programmer Igor Soukmanov and film critic Irena Kaciałovič.
In Berlin, they said the Academy would aim to “unite independent Belarusian filmmakers and bring their voices to the forefront of global consciousness,” to “disseminate information [about] the social and political crisis in Belarus and independent Belarusian cinema” and to “fight censorship restrictions and to defend artistic freedom.”
But they were also in Berlin to get down to business. With no access to state funding — the independent Academy is boycotting the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko — the filmmakers are eager to find co-producers and finance partners elsewhere in Europe.
- 2/17/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The government of Belarus has passed a law that permits the use of media and intellectual property, such as computer software, in the country without the consent of copyright holders from “unfriendly” foreign nations.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, signed the proposal into law on January 3, which means it is now legal in Belarus to access pirated audiovisual material and computer software if the rights holders to the artifact are from “foreign states that commit unfriendly actions against Belarusian legal entities and (or) individuals.” In addition, the law also covers international companies from “unfriendly” nations who hold rights.
The bill describes audiovisual material as movies, music, and TV shows. The law also covers television programs edited by a state organization as well as film distribution and entertainment organizations. Any individual or company that imports pirated content or media into the country can simply label the item “essential for the domestic...
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, signed the proposal into law on January 3, which means it is now legal in Belarus to access pirated audiovisual material and computer software if the rights holders to the artifact are from “foreign states that commit unfriendly actions against Belarusian legal entities and (or) individuals.” In addition, the law also covers international companies from “unfriendly” nations who hold rights.
The bill describes audiovisual material as movies, music, and TV shows. The law also covers television programs edited by a state organization as well as film distribution and entertainment organizations. Any individual or company that imports pirated content or media into the country can simply label the item “essential for the domestic...
- 1/10/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
“One Ring to rule them all/One Ring to find them/One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them” – J.R.R. Tolkien
Almost as soon as Vladimir Putin gave out gold rings to the eight other leaders of the so-called Commonwealth of Independent States — a group of Moscow-influenced former Soviet republics — the Lord of the Rings jokes started. After all, in the lore of the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle Earth’s reigning bad guy Sauron gave nine Rings of Power to leaders of men. They, in turn became “mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old.” But one by one, the leaders came to be ruled by the One Ring, which Sauron himself held, and were turned into wraiths subject to his bidding.
Putin reportedly kept a ninth ring himself, making a match with Tolkien’s fictional nine rings.
The only leader who looks to be wearing his gift in a group photo from the event is Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is reported to have put the band on his finger immediately.
In a statement from the conclave, Putin tied to strike a tone of fidelity among Cis countries as the Russian president’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine continues.
From L: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pose for a family photo ahead of an informal meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Among those making Lotr comparisons was Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs who posted photos of Gollum, Putin’s rings themselves — which allegedly have the words “Happy New Year 2023” and “Russia” written on them — as well as Lukashenko wearing his. Gerashchenko wrote “Expectation: Putin-Sauron” followed by “Reality: Putin-Gollum.”
Expectation: Putin-Sauron
Reality: Putin-Gollum pic.twitter.com/QBTbCFMyJ0
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 27, 2022
Ukrainian Parlamentarian Oleksiy Goncharenko also posted photos of the rings and wrote, “Putin got tired of being the Hitler of the 21st century and decided to play Lord of the Rings and become a ‘mighty Sauron.’ ” He followed up with a narrated clip from Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that explains the rings and their relationship to the “One Ring.” You can see both posts below.
Putin got tired of being the Hitler of the 21st century and decided to play Lord of the Rings and become a "mighty Sauron".
He presented the participants of the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States with rings with the symbol of the "commonwealth". pic.twitter.com/vqZArg5uha
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) December 27, 2022
I think the story of the creation of Putin's rings was the same pic.twitter.com/5e7bzQOs3p
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) December 27, 2022...
Almost as soon as Vladimir Putin gave out gold rings to the eight other leaders of the so-called Commonwealth of Independent States — a group of Moscow-influenced former Soviet republics — the Lord of the Rings jokes started. After all, in the lore of the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle Earth’s reigning bad guy Sauron gave nine Rings of Power to leaders of men. They, in turn became “mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old.” But one by one, the leaders came to be ruled by the One Ring, which Sauron himself held, and were turned into wraiths subject to his bidding.
Putin reportedly kept a ninth ring himself, making a match with Tolkien’s fictional nine rings.
The only leader who looks to be wearing his gift in a group photo from the event is Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is reported to have put the band on his finger immediately.
In a statement from the conclave, Putin tied to strike a tone of fidelity among Cis countries as the Russian president’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine continues.
From L: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pose for a family photo ahead of an informal meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Among those making Lotr comparisons was Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs who posted photos of Gollum, Putin’s rings themselves — which allegedly have the words “Happy New Year 2023” and “Russia” written on them — as well as Lukashenko wearing his. Gerashchenko wrote “Expectation: Putin-Sauron” followed by “Reality: Putin-Gollum.”
Expectation: Putin-Sauron
Reality: Putin-Gollum pic.twitter.com/QBTbCFMyJ0
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 27, 2022
Ukrainian Parlamentarian Oleksiy Goncharenko also posted photos of the rings and wrote, “Putin got tired of being the Hitler of the 21st century and decided to play Lord of the Rings and become a ‘mighty Sauron.’ ” He followed up with a narrated clip from Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power that explains the rings and their relationship to the “One Ring.” You can see both posts below.
Putin got tired of being the Hitler of the 21st century and decided to play Lord of the Rings and become a "mighty Sauron".
He presented the participants of the informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States with rings with the symbol of the "commonwealth". pic.twitter.com/vqZArg5uha
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) December 27, 2022
I think the story of the creation of Putin's rings was the same pic.twitter.com/5e7bzQOs3p
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) December 27, 2022...
- 12/28/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Russian President Vladimir Putin is Belarus for talks with one of his few remaining allies, autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko, as his war effort in Ukraine falters badly. The visit comes as talk of coup have been been building in Moscow, according to multiple top Russian journalists.
According to new reports, some of the Russian leader’s most trusted aides may be the very ones conspiring to overthrow him. Sergei Lavrov, Putin’s foreign minister, is said to be despondent over the state of the war.
Putin in Belarus for "talks" with Lukashenko, along with Lavrov and Shoigu. This will be interesting.
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) December 19, 2022
Numerous reports have claimed that Putin is suffering from ill health. Some observers believe the strongman has a form of cancer which has caused him to look bloated in recent months.
Evgeny Progozhin, an oligarch sometimes called “Putin’s Chef” and founder of a mercenary group,...
According to new reports, some of the Russian leader’s most trusted aides may be the very ones conspiring to overthrow him. Sergei Lavrov, Putin’s foreign minister, is said to be despondent over the state of the war.
Putin in Belarus for "talks" with Lukashenko, along with Lavrov and Shoigu. This will be interesting.
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) December 19, 2022
Numerous reports have claimed that Putin is suffering from ill health. Some observers believe the strongman has a form of cancer which has caused him to look bloated in recent months.
Evgeny Progozhin, an oligarch sometimes called “Putin’s Chef” and founder of a mercenary group,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Max Kerwick
- Uinterview
San Francisco, March 11 (Ians) In a rare exception amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Meta is allowing posts with violent speech toward Russian soldiers on Facebook and Instagram in specific countries, including calls for harm or even death of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. As per The Verge, according to […]...
- 3/11/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
The European Union will ban Russian media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.
Saying that the EU will ban “Kremlin’s media machine,” von der Leyen added that “state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war and to sow division in our union.”
“We are developing tools to ban the toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,” von der Leyen said.
In the U.K., the Russia-backed Rt channel is under review by media regulator Ofcom. The channel was suspended on Saturday in Australia by Foxtel.
The 27 nations in the EU will also close their airspace to Russian airlines. “We are shutting down the EU airspace for Russians,” von der Leyen said. “We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft. These...
Saying that the EU will ban “Kremlin’s media machine,” von der Leyen added that “state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war and to sow division in our union.”
“We are developing tools to ban the toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe,” von der Leyen said.
In the U.K., the Russia-backed Rt channel is under review by media regulator Ofcom. The channel was suspended on Saturday in Australia by Foxtel.
The 27 nations in the EU will also close their airspace to Russian airlines. “We are shutting down the EU airspace for Russians,” von der Leyen said. “We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft. These...
- 2/27/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Vladimir Putin has been accused of major military escalation after requesting Russia’s nuclear deterrent be put on high alert, as his troops continue to attempt their conquest of Ukraine.
The Russian leader has today cited aggressive statements by NATO leaders and the severe economic sanctions imposed on his country for his decision.
Speaking on state television on Sunday, he said: “As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in the economic dimension – illegitimate sanctions that everyone knows about.
“But also the highest-ranking officials of leading NATO countries are allowing themselves to make aggressive statements in relation to our country.
For this reason I order the minister of defence and the chief of general staff to put deterrent forces on special combat duty.
“For this reason I order the minister of defence and the chief of general staff to put deterrent forces on special combat duty.
The Russian leader has today cited aggressive statements by NATO leaders and the severe economic sanctions imposed on his country for his decision.
Speaking on state television on Sunday, he said: “As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in the economic dimension – illegitimate sanctions that everyone knows about.
“But also the highest-ranking officials of leading NATO countries are allowing themselves to make aggressive statements in relation to our country.
For this reason I order the minister of defence and the chief of general staff to put deterrent forces on special combat duty.
“For this reason I order the minister of defence and the chief of general staff to put deterrent forces on special combat duty.
- 2/27/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
John Oliver is out of the void and returning for the ninth season of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with a studio audience and a desire to tackle tricky subjects.
The comedian was full of fresh quips and sardonic humor when speaking with Deadline ahead of his return Sunday. He talks about how Last Week Tonight was able to deal with a crowd-free show better than some of the nightly talk shows (“I’ve always talked over the audience”), how happy he is that he no longer has to talk about Donald Trump, even if the U.S. “always wants to talk about its elections three years before they happen,” and encourages Discovery, otherwise known as his new Business Daddy, to follow AT&T’s “Victorian marriage” model and “leave us the f*ck alone.”
The Brit, who became a U.S. citizen in 2020, is in the middle of a three-year...
The comedian was full of fresh quips and sardonic humor when speaking with Deadline ahead of his return Sunday. He talks about how Last Week Tonight was able to deal with a crowd-free show better than some of the nightly talk shows (“I’ve always talked over the audience”), how happy he is that he no longer has to talk about Donald Trump, even if the U.S. “always wants to talk about its elections three years before they happen,” and encourages Discovery, otherwise known as his new Business Daddy, to follow AT&T’s “Victorian marriage” model and “leave us the f*ck alone.”
The Brit, who became a U.S. citizen in 2020, is in the middle of a three-year...
- 2/15/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Courage, Aliaksei Paluyan’s critically acclaimed documentary on the Belarus protest movement, has been acquired by European network Arte for France and Germany ahead of the film’s screening at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA). Arte plans to broadcast the film in early 2022.
Paluyan’s on-the-ground view of events follows three members of an underground, and illegal, theater troupe as they join in with compatriots to resist President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26 years of dictatorship. After a contested election, thousands take to the streets to demand the President resign. The hope for change in what is often termed “Europe’s last ...
Paluyan’s on-the-ground view of events follows three members of an underground, and illegal, theater troupe as they join in with compatriots to resist President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26 years of dictatorship. After a contested election, thousands take to the streets to demand the President resign. The hope for change in what is often termed “Europe’s last ...
- 11/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Courage, Aliaksei Paluyan’s critically acclaimed documentary on the Belarus protest movement, has been acquired by European network Arte for France and Germany ahead of the film’s screening at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA). Arte plans to broadcast the film in early 2022.
Paluyan’s on-the-ground view of events follows three members of an underground, and illegal, theater troupe as they join in with compatriots to resist President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26 years of dictatorship. After a contested election, thousands take to the streets to demand the President resign. The hope for change in what is often termed “Europe’s last ...
Paluyan’s on-the-ground view of events follows three members of an underground, and illegal, theater troupe as they join in with compatriots to resist President Alexander Lukashenko’s 26 years of dictatorship. After a contested election, thousands take to the streets to demand the President resign. The hope for change in what is often termed “Europe’s last ...
- 11/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Czech Republic’s premier nonfiction fest, the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, launched its 25th edition Tuesday in the historic town’s renovated cultural center, previewing an impressive program that accompanies its first fully live version in two years.
Fest director Marek Hovorka greeted the audience with fond memories of the improvements the event – and the communist-era hall – have seen since the Ji.hlava fest was launched as colleagues recalled it was considered a crazy idea at the time. Noting that not just film festivals but education and culture were largely sidetracked over the past year due to Covid risks, Hovorka said the lesson is that losing these “can have bad consequences for society.”
Following tradition, the prize for the Short Joy competition winner, chosen by a global audience watching the films online on the fest platform DAFilms.cz, was awarded this year to Colombian-Portuguese film “Open Mountain...
Fest director Marek Hovorka greeted the audience with fond memories of the improvements the event – and the communist-era hall – have seen since the Ji.hlava fest was launched as colleagues recalled it was considered a crazy idea at the time. Noting that not just film festivals but education and culture were largely sidetracked over the past year due to Covid risks, Hovorka said the lesson is that losing these “can have bad consequences for society.”
Following tradition, the prize for the Short Joy competition winner, chosen by a global audience watching the films online on the fest platform DAFilms.cz, was awarded this year to Colombian-Portuguese film “Open Mountain...
- 10/27/2021
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Belarusian director and journalist Andrei Kutsila is in the Czech Republic this week where his film “When Flowers Are Not Silent” opens the 25th Jihlava Intl. Documentary Film Festival. This follows its world premiere at Warsaw Film Festival, where it nabbed the award for best documentary feature. After the screening, Kutsila will continue his one-year internship at Łódź Film School in Poland, he tells Variety.
“It’s not just about security – you simply cannot work [as a documentary filmmaker in Belarus] right now. I decided to leave when I was still editing the film,” he says, referring to the situation of the country still reeling from the government’s violent response to the protests after the rigged 2020 presidential elections. Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has been in power since 1994.
“I don’t know what will happen next; there is no point in making any plans. The streets are calmer, but the authorities have to maintain a certain level of fear.
“It’s not just about security – you simply cannot work [as a documentary filmmaker in Belarus] right now. I decided to leave when I was still editing the film,” he says, referring to the situation of the country still reeling from the government’s violent response to the protests after the rigged 2020 presidential elections. Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has been in power since 1994.
“I don’t know what will happen next; there is no point in making any plans. The streets are calmer, but the authorities have to maintain a certain level of fear.
- 10/25/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
At the time of writing, in July 2021, the crackdown against those in Belarus wishing to oust president/dictator Alexander Lukashenko over last year's disputed election is continuing - with the editor of a newspaper critical of the regime hauled off for questioning at the website blocked.
Aliaksei Paluyan's timely documentary steps inside the resistance to Lukashenko's regime in the run up to last August's elections and afterwards, celebrating the peaceful protests and sense of solidarity in the anti-Lukashenko movement at the same time as capturing the uphill struggle they face for change. Leading us into the protests are a trio of actors from the Belarus Free Theatre, which has long brought a political edge to its work and whose directors, including Nicolai Khalezin - seen here directing via Skype - have spent years in exile.
Maryna, who has a young child, and Pavel are still performing at the theatre,...
Aliaksei Paluyan's timely documentary steps inside the resistance to Lukashenko's regime in the run up to last August's elections and afterwards, celebrating the peaceful protests and sense of solidarity in the anti-Lukashenko movement at the same time as capturing the uphill struggle they face for change. Leading us into the protests are a trio of actors from the Belarus Free Theatre, which has long brought a political edge to its work and whose directors, including Nicolai Khalezin - seen here directing via Skype - have spent years in exile.
Maryna, who has a young child, and Pavel are still performing at the theatre,...
- 7/13/2021
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Watch Docs Belarus director Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorska was arrested in Minsk on April 5, following the controversy surrounding an exhibition she co-organized, entitled “Machine is Breathing, and I Am Not”.
The incident sparked a global outcry among the film community, which called the arrest “a classic piece of shameless brutality by the Belarusian authorities.” Belarus, often referred to as “Europe’s last dictatorship,” has been governed by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.
As reported by Variety, Hatsura-Yavorska has since been released from prison. But alongside colleagues Natallya Trenina, Yuliya Semenchanka, Hanna Sakalouskaya and Volha Shapakouskaya, she remains a suspect in the criminal case, accused of organizing group actions that violate public order and involve disobedience to the authorities. As of now, she is also banned from leaving the country.
The latter, in particular, is a troubling development given the festival director’s husband, Volodymyr Yavorskiy, was forced to immediately leave Belarus following her arrest,...
The incident sparked a global outcry among the film community, which called the arrest “a classic piece of shameless brutality by the Belarusian authorities.” Belarus, often referred to as “Europe’s last dictatorship,” has been governed by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.
As reported by Variety, Hatsura-Yavorska has since been released from prison. But alongside colleagues Natallya Trenina, Yuliya Semenchanka, Hanna Sakalouskaya and Volha Shapakouskaya, she remains a suspect in the criminal case, accused of organizing group actions that violate public order and involve disobedience to the authorities. As of now, she is also banned from leaving the country.
The latter, in particular, is a troubling development given the festival director’s husband, Volodymyr Yavorskiy, was forced to immediately leave Belarus following her arrest,...
- 4/21/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorska, the director of the Watch Docs Film Festival in Belarus, has been released from prison and charges against her dropped after an international outcry this week from human rights organizations and festivals.
Hatsura-Yavorska was first arrested on April 5 for her role in organizing an underground photo exhibition celebrating health workers. She was initially fined 700 Belarusian rubles for “protesting against police” and placed in a detention facility in Minsk. Organizations including the Human Rights Film Network said she was a political prisoner and was being held alongside hundreds of others after a government crackdown on local unrest.
She was due for a court hearing on Thursday (April 15) after the maximum of 10 days in detention, with charges of “raising money for protests” anticipated. Those closed to her feared that she could face several years in prison. However, after a widespread outpouring of support from the international community, which saw fests...
Hatsura-Yavorska was first arrested on April 5 for her role in organizing an underground photo exhibition celebrating health workers. She was initially fined 700 Belarusian rubles for “protesting against police” and placed in a detention facility in Minsk. Organizations including the Human Rights Film Network said she was a political prisoner and was being held alongside hundreds of others after a government crackdown on local unrest.
She was due for a court hearing on Thursday (April 15) after the maximum of 10 days in detention, with charges of “raising money for protests” anticipated. Those closed to her feared that she could face several years in prison. However, after a widespread outpouring of support from the international community, which saw fests...
- 4/16/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
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