Estonian premiere

Mara

Local title
Mara
Title in Russian
Мара
Original title
Mara
Director
Sasha Kulak
Country
France, United Kingdom
Year
2021
Programme
Flowers are not silent. Resistance films of Belarus
Subject
individual vs society, politics, human rights

We see the violence that has spread all over Belarus, as Alexander Lukashenko clings to power after disputed and controversial election results. There are groups of military in black with their faces covered. They don’t even need reasons to arrest.

A young woman in the form of Mara, a female spirit in Slavic culture who comes to people in their sleep to bring them dreams or nightmares. Through the mythical character, she tries to cope with frightening reality. The narrative invites the viewer to join Mara while she watches the story unfold, haunted by the scenes on the street she is caught between facing her reality and escaping into her dreams.

This is an hybrid experimental documentary essay about a communal nightmare, a nightmare which has bound a whole nation together.

The film is screened as part of Belarusian competition program of Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival, a Belarusian film festival in exile.

Director
Sasha Kulak
Producer
Louis Beaudemont, Ksenia Gorenstein
DoP
Sasha Kulak
Composer
Pavel Bocharov
Sound
Paata Godziashvili, Nika Paniashvili
Production
Les Steppes Productions
Runtime
Language
Belarusian, Russian
Subtitles
English
Other festivals
Rotterdam

Screenings

Hall 2 Kino Artis
Screening151601 / Mara
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsSasha Kulak (Film Director, Artist)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer