MARA
23 NOVEMBER, 19:10
VILNIUS, 'SKALVIJA'
BE COMPETITION
25 NOVEMBER, 17:30
TALLINN, 'ARTIS'
25 NOVEMBER
ONLINE, FROM 00:00 TO 23:59
Dir. Sasha Kulak | France, United Kingdom | 2021 | 61 min. | Hybrid
OFFLINE, ONLINE
A film essay and a horror documentary full of pain, hope, femininity, and a struggle for freedom
Mara is a hybrid experimental documentary essay. 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 men in black with their faces covered. They don't even need reasons to arrest you.

A young woman embodies Mara, a female spirit in Slavic mythology who comes to people in their sleep to bring them good dreams or nightmares. Through the mythical character, she tries to cope with the frightening reality. Mara creates hyper visuals to describe the difficult emotional experiences of ordinary Belarusians. The narrative invites the viewer to join Mara while she watches the story unfold. Haunted by the scenes on the streets, she is caught between facing her reality and escaping into her dreams. The film flips between esthetical dream images and real footage of police brutality. This is an essay about a mass nightmare, a nightmare from which a whole nation cannot wake up.
Original language: Russian, Belarusian
Subtitles: English
The films in competition will be viewed by an international jury
There will be a Q&A session after the screening in Tallinn and Vilnius
WATCH TRAILER
WATCH TRAILER
Q&A PARTICIPANTS in Tallinn
Sasha Kulak
Volia Chajkouskaya
Q&A moderator. Director of Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival, producer, and film director.


Director, DOP, and photographer.
Q&A participants in Tallinn
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