Who, if not us? - The Fight for Democracy in Belarus

DE 2023, 77 min, Juliane Tutein

The documentary provides a unique glimpse into the struggle for democracy in Belarus and the lives of three women after the major protests of 2020. These protests were the largest in Belarus's history, but the Lukaschenko regime brutally suppressed them. Over the course of an entire year, the film follows these exceptional women from different generations, all of whom continue to tirelessly fight for a democratic Belarus.

The documentary concludes amidst Russia's destructive war of aggression in Ukraine, impressively highlighting the inseperable fate of Belarus and Ukraine. It becomes abundantly clear that many Belarusians share the conviction that without a free Ukraine, there can never be a democratic future for Belarus.

The film portrays the fearless 74-years-old activist Nina Baginskaya, who experienced the Soviet era and has beeen tirelessly advocating for a democratic Belarus since the 1980s. Additionally, the film accompanies the founder of the "Watch Docs Belarus" film festival, Tanya Hatsura-Yavorskaya, who faces a looming prison sentence due to her bold and unwavering human rights work. Meanwhile, countless innocent individuals who took to the streets for a free and democratic Belarus are in prison.
The 22-year-old human rights activist Darya Rubleskaya, who had to flee abroad to escape an impending prison sentence, now seeks to draw attention to the fates of the many political prisoners from Vilnius.

Directed by Juliane Tutein, a filmmaker who has already received awards for her previous works on Belarus, this documentary is a captivating testament to how people fight for democracy on a daily basis, even when they are scarcely visible in the public eye.