A Lesson of Belorussian

Director & Producer: Miroslaw Dembinski
Produced by: Film Studio Everest
Duration: 56 min.
Year of Production: 2006
Original Title: Lekcja Bialoruskiego

Winner of:

MDR [Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk] Award, 49th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film

MovieSquad DOC U! Award, IDFA 2006

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Belorus gained independence along with many other East European countries. Shortly after, in 1991, an academy for humanities studies was founded in Minsk with the twin aims of spreading the Belorussian language and of producing a future, elite Belorussian intelligentsia.

But in 1995, Lukashenka came to power and democracy and freedom as Belorussians had just begun to know them ended. The humanities institution was banned, but its students continued to study underground.

A Lesson in Belorussian centers on these student political organizers and the events surrounding the 2006 election, after it has been charged that Lukashenka made changes to the Belorussian constitution in order to ensure his election to a third term-and an end to term limits. Despite the fear of a crackdown by police, and emboldened by a technological world which virtually ensures the whole world is watching, thousands of Belorussians enter the streets.

Illum Leipzig festival jury:
“The film is a plea, an outcry, and-at the same time- a cool headed analysis of the daily turmoil of political struggle.”