Andrei Kutsila's Film "Letters" Receives "Golden Dove" in Leipzig

The international jury selected the film about Belarusian political prisoners with the following statement:

“Through a captivating parallel experience of men and women – some speaking, others drawing, and still others struggling – the film transforms testimonies into resistance. From a cinematographer who refuses to let a country vanish from sight comes a film that, with cinematic determination and transparency, transports us to a place unreachable by others.”

What is the film "Letters" about?

Andrei Kutsila's film is a deep and emotional immersion into contemporary Belarusian realities through personal stories, letters, and testimonies of people who have endured repression, imprisonment, or were forced to leave their homeland. The film showcases the resilience, humanity, and unbreakable spirit of Belarusians, whose voices are sought to be silenced, but who continue to resound throughout the world.

At the heart of the plot is a mosaic of the fates of five people, including the story of Vitold Ashurak, who died in a penal colony, as well as a young artist and student whose prison drawings and diaries formed the basis of the film's animated segments.

The film, on which the Belarusian documentarian worked for over five years, was created in international cooperation: its production involved the German company Inselfilm Produktion, the Polish Doc Edu Foundation, and the Lithuanian film company Moonmakers.

Recall that it was previously announced that the film "Letters" also made it onto the short-list for the European Film Awards (European Film Awards 2027) — the European "Oscars" — and is vying for victory in the "Best Documentary Film" category. The world premiere of the Belarusian director's film took place at the 81st Venice Film Festival in September.

What is DOK Leipzig?

DOK Leipzig (International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film in Leipzig) is one of the oldest and most prestigious documentary festivals in the world, founded back in 1955. The festival serves as an important global platform for filmmakers who address acute social, political, and human themes.

Andrei Kutsila was born in Baranovichi, graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at BSU, and also studied at the Belarusian State Academy of Arts (under the guidance of Alyaksandr Karpau). His films have gained recognition on the European scene due to their deep humanism and attention to human destinies.

Among the renowned works of the Belarusian filmmaker are the documentary films "Striptease and War," "Summa" (which won an award for best medium-length documentary film in Amsterdam), as well as "When Flowers Are Not Silent" (2021), dedicated to Belarusian revolutionary events and women's protests, which was also successfully screened at international venues. The director's oeuvre also includes: "Dnyuka," "Guests," "I Need Your Hugs," "King of the Mountain," "Holy Water" (2023), and other cinematic works.

• 3
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0