Unveiling Trauma, Imposing Trauma: Belarusian Documentaries as Testimonies of the 2020 Protests

• In Event: Screening the Past: Representing Trauma and Memory in Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian Cinema

Abstract

This paper examines the complex role of recent documentaries chronicling the 2020 Belarusian protests, functioning as testimonies of resistance and methods of healing while also serving as tools of state repression and re-traumatization. Documentaries such as Andrei Kutilo’s When Flowers Are Not Silent (2021), Tatyana Svirepa’s Belarus 23.34 (2023), Nikolai Maminov’s Chronicle of the Present (2023), and Igor Makarov and Alexander Urzhanov’s Look Up (2024) provide intimate narratives of protesters confronting repression during and after the demonstrations. They preserve this pivotal moment in Belarusian history, offering visually and narratively rich accounts for future generations.
These films depict personal experiences of detention and torture, expose systemic human rights violations, and highlight the crucial role of Belarusian women in leading peaceful protests. Through personal stories and authentic protest footage, they capture the raw emotions and realities faced by participants. Additionally, they present multiple perspectives, exploring the fine line between victimhood and complicity, resistance and repression, as well as the personal and collective dimensions of memory and trauma.
At the same time, these documentaries and their distribution history reveal a critical dilemma: while they revisit trauma to foster awareness and solidarity, they may also impose suffering on victims through their raw depictions. Furthermore, they raise ethical concerns about portraying political resistance in authoritarian contexts, particularly the risk that documentary material—intended to advocate for justice—can be weaponized by oppressive regimes against those it seeks to protect.

Author

• Olga Klimova, U of Pittsburgh