MARA

Translated from the Old East Slavic language, "mara" means something like "dream" or "hope". However, its use can also be traced to Slavic myths, where it appears in the form of a supernatural entity that afflicts humans with nightmares. In the midst of the protests against Belarusian president Alexander Lukaschenko, a representation of the figure, wearing a white plaster mask and crown, could be seen roaming about, or dressed as a red queen with a long, red train trailing her on the streets and playgrounds of Minsk. And it is above all the woman of Belarus, the grandmothers and mothers, that have been standing up to the young, faceless soldiers and police. Hope, reality and powerlessness – Sasha Kulak's insistent gaze manages to transcend this configuration: images from the everyday lives of protestors, shocking reports from victims of state power and poetic performances far from the violence. This documentary's approach goes beyond the perspectives provided by the pictures in the news of the past year and demonstrates emphatically the high price these individuals have paid for their courageous commitment to democracy. For thousands of citizens in Belarus, the nightmare is reality, and yet there remains hope – a strong testament to democracy and the power of the people.