The short film “Live” by Mara Tamkowicz won the “Platinum Archer” award at the Fredom Film Festival in Radom. The film is inspired by the true story of two Belsat journalists who were imprisoned in Belarus for their work in 2020.
The plot of the movie “Live” is based on an event in the life of two journalists of Belsat television, Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova. On November 15, 2020, they were arrested in Minsk for reporting on riot police brutally dispersing a demonstration in honor of a young opposition supporter, Raman Bandarenka, who had been beaten to death. The women were accused of organizing activities that seriously violated public order. Chultsova was released from prison on September 3, 2022. Andreyeva is still behind bars as she was recently sentenced to another 8 years and 3 months in prison on a trumped-up treason charge. The arrest of Belarusian journalists has been criticized by the journalistic community, organizations working to protect freedom of speech, as well as human rights defenders.
In her short film, Mara Tamkowicz used archival footage of Andreyeva and Chultsova’s broadcast on Belsat television, during which they were arrested.
Previously, “Live” won a special prize at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, was selected as the best film by the jury of the Polish-Czech ZOOM Close-Up Competition, and was awarded the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
md / belsat.eu
