Filmotor has picked up world sales rights for “Letters From the Silenced Country” by Belarusian writer-director Andrei Kutsila, which has its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The partly animated documentary, screening in the Venice Open – Out of Competition section, is a portrait of contemporary Belarus told through stories of individuals who have endured imprisonment, repression and exile – voices silenced by an autocratic regime.
Following Belarus’ peaceful protests in 2020, the regime’s violent crackdown left many dead, injured, imprisoned or forced into exile. The war in Ukraine triggered anti-war resistance and even harsher repression, making public dissent nearly impossible. Against this backdrop, letters became one of the few remaining connections between political prisoners and the outside world.
The film “transforms private stories into a cinematic space of dignity, intimacy and reflection, revealing the human cost of resistance and exploring themes of sacrifice, solidarity, and survival in a country where dissenting voices have been silenced,” according to a statement.
Here’s the synopsis: When the streets are quiet and people are afraid to even discuss politics in Belarus, letters can give us an insight into the feelings of pain, despair, love and hope.
