As part of the European Film Academy Awards, another film produced in co-production with Ukraine has been considered. This film, "Motherland," was directed by Hanna Bazdiaka and Alexander Mihalkovich and is dedicated to the protests in Belarus in 2020.
This was reported on the official website of the film award
The Belarusian film has been nominated in the "Best Documentary Film" category. Nominations are based on the votes of 4,600 members of the European Film Academy who have reviewed films from the annual academic program. The winners will be determined through voting by academy members.
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The film "Motherland" has participated in numerous international film festivals, including this year's Odesa International Film Festival, DocsBarcelona, and the Czech One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.
According to Anna Machukh, the general director of the Odesa Film Festival, while the film is about Belarus and directed by Belarusian filmmakers, it is not considered a Belarusian film. None of the individuals involved in the production of the film live in Belarus, and the film itself is prohibited from being shown in Belarus.
"In my perception, Belarus is what could have happened to Ukraine if we hadn't had the Revolution of Dignity and hadn't ousted Yanukovych from the country. For me, Belarus is just as much an occupied territory as Donetsk, Luhansk, or Crimea," added Anna.
The film is banned from being shown in Belarus, and the actors and directors were forced to leave the country.
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The documentary started as a story about military service but evolved during filming due to the protests.
"In my opinion, the people of Belarus have nothing to do with the state and the leadership, which lacks legitimacy. During the last elections, the vast majority did not support the self-proclaimed president. This was vividly demonstrated by the protests. The people have a completely different attitude," says co-director Hanna Bazdiaka.
