Film about Ales Bialiatski and "Viasna" activities issued at "BelSat" TV channel
The central characters of the documentary are the
head of the HRC "Viasna", his wife Natallia Pinchuk and the
teacher Natallia Ilyinich, who was dismissed from work for political
reasons, and whom the human rights defenders assisted in the
protection of her rights.
Volha Shved,
director: "The history of modern Belarus is a history of
repression. Every momentous event – the election, the increase in
prices, changes in legislation - ends with repression. The
organization of assistance to the repressed is a direct confrontation
with the repressive authorities. Thus, Ales Bialiatski became a
personal enemy of Aliaksandr Lukasehnka in some respect. Because one
stops being afraid of saying what you think, or coming out to protest
actions when there's somebody who will help in case of
problems."
The organization which rendered aid to the
repressed, "Viasna-96", was created in 1996, two years
after Lukashenka came to power.
The film shows the history of
the human rights center amid the recent history of Belarus. The
central figure of the documentary is Ales Bialiatski, he is present
on archival photographs and newsreels. However, there are no personal
statements by Ales (except for his last plea at court). Nevertheless,
he speaks to us through his wife, who explains why Ales chose the
Belarusian way of life, why he engaged in the protection of people
from the post-communist government, how he gradually got used to the
idea that he can become a victim of repression as well, and how he
lived with the knowledge of the inevitability of it. What price,
apart from freedom, he had to pay everyday, and what it means to be
with such a man?
"When we read that "Viasna"
helps the repressed, there are no emotions behind it. It is difficult
to understand from such lines the feelings of someone who is
dismissed from the work which is his calling and what it means to be
left without means of subsistence just because you think in a way
which is not allowed. How can one keep living with the thought that
soon they will knock on the door and take the husband away to prison?
What does it mean to be waiting for the husband to come from work,
without knowing whether he would come, and still support him? I tried
to show persons in the film", the channel's website quotes the
film director.
