Cinema at the Crossroads: Belarusian Uprising of 2020 in Documentary Films

• In Event: Identity, Resistance, and Solidarity: Decolonizing Narratives in Belarusian Cinema

Abstract

The 2020 failed Belarusian uprising, a monumental series of protests against electoral fraud and political repression, have found a unique echo in the realm of cinema, documenting and interpreting the events through various narrative and stylistic lenses. This presentation critically examines the portrayal of these protests in two documentaries, When the Flowers are Not Silent (dir. Andrei Kutsila, 2021) and Courage (dir. Aliaksei Paluyan, 2021), alongside the docudrama Minsk (dir. Boris Guts, 2022), through a decolonial framework. While When the Flowers are Not Silent and Courage are lauded for their efforts to challenge colonial legacies by reclaiming historical narratives and resistance spaces, Minsk faces scrutiny for reinforcing colonial constructs within its depiction of the protests. The narrative strategies, character development, and portrayal in Minsk inadvertently sustain a colonial gaze, emphasizing perspectives that align more with external views of Belarus rather than authentically representing the lived experiences and agency of the Belarusian people.

Author

• Sasha Razor, UC Santa Barbara