Preceded by the film Who If Not Us? The Fight for Democracy in Belarus

Belarus, a dictatorship in Europe

Ticket

Thursday 14 March – 18h30
Grütli - Salle Simon
Rue du Général-Dufour 16, 1204 Geneva

In Belarus, human rights defenders are constantly silenced and, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of NGOs have been forcibly dissolved as undesirable. How can you resist in such conditions?

Alexander Lukashenko is often portrayed as “Europe’s last dictator”. Under his regime, freedoms of expression, demonstration and opposition are severely restricted, and several hundred activists are in the regime’s jails. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the repression of civil society intensified. How can you resist under such conditions?

Co-presented with Kometa
Discussion

Juliane Tutein
Director of "Who If Not Us, The Fight for Democracy in Belarus"
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Darya Rubleuskaya
Protagonist of "Who If Not Us, The Fight for Democracy in Belarus", human rights activist
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Tatsiana Khomich
Belarusian activist
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Moderators

Serge Michel
Journalist, editor-in-chief of Heidi.news and director of Kometa publications
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Language(s)
English

By Juliane Tutein

Who If Not Us? The Fight for Democracy in Belarus

Wer, wenn nicht wir? Der Kampf für Demokratie in Belarus

In 2020, the largest demonstrations against the government took place in Belarus. Demonstrators were subjected to violence and restrictions, and many were sentenced to harsh prison terms. A dangerous climate aimed at stifling political activism has taken hold. Who If Not Us? The Fight for Democracy in Belarus follows three women at the forefront of the protests: Nina Baginskaya, a woman in her seventies who has been active in the fight for an inclusive Belarus since the 1980s; Tatsyana ‘Tanya’ Hatsura-Yavorskaya, founder of a human rights film festival; and Darya Rublevskaya, a young activist working for a human rights centre.

International Premiere
Section : Competition - Focus
Country : Germany
Original languages : English, Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian
Subtitles : English, French
Duration
77’
Director
Juliane Tutein
Producers
Ümit Uludağ
Martin Roelly
Erik Winker
Corso film
Photographie
Siarhei Kavaliou
Feline Gerhardt
Juliane Tutein
Editing
Maria Hemmleb
Music
Julian Erhardt
Mirko Büchele
Son
Cécilia Marchat
Sirius Kestel
Juliane Tutein
World Sales
Filmdelights