"Viva Bel@rus!" Awarded in Istanbul

Żywie Biełaruś (Viva Bel@rus!), a film directed by Krzysztof Łukaszewicz, received the Golden Scales Award, the grand prize of the third edition of the ‘Crime and Punishment’ Festival in Istanbul.

Belarusian Opposition

The film tells the story of Belarus’ renowned opposition leader and portrays the fate of a country under the yoke of Lukashenko’s dictatorship. The main protagonist is a rock musician named Miron. By openly challenging the political system that oppresses his fellow countrymen (especially those who have the audacity to speak Belarusian), this musician risks his rock band being black-listed, which leads to a ban on any public performance by the group. Miron’s criticism of the government gets him drafted into the army, where he becomes the object of repressions from his superiors.

The third ‘Crime and Punishment’ International Film Festival in Istanbul ran from September 13 through September 19, 2013.

Translated by Karolina Kołtun