Mara

Local title
Mara
Original title
Mara
Director
Sasha Kulak
Year
2021

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
Director of Photography
Sasha Kulak
Composer
Pavel Bocharov
Sound
Paata Godziashvili, Nika Paniashvili
Runtime
Subtitles
Other festivals
Rotterdam
Director
Sasha Kulak

Together with commissioned fashion, music and identity building projects for brands Sasha's portfolio includes a variety of independent cultural projects made in collaboration with young talents across the globe. 
Presenting at DokLeipzig 2022 a feature film ‘A Hawk as Big as a Horse’ (2022, 77’), which is produced with the support of Arte France, and a grant recipient from the Sundance Institute.
Earlier this year the film Mara (2022, 61’) was premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam - it is a hybrid documentary video essay about Belarusian protests in summer of 2020.

Screenings

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