Reading the headline about the Ryanair flight intercepted to Belarus, a story straight from a Cold War novel, suddenly the world was back in an East versus West game of high stakes chest. President Alexander Lukashenko has been in power for almost 3 decades with no signs of exiting the stage. After the the 2020 election demonstrators took to the street demanding accountability and change.
While interviewing Director Aliaksei Paluyan about his film COURAGE,a documentary on thethe current Belarus political sitaution, he said something that hit me, “Minsk is equal flying distance from Berlin as Paris.”
The exclusive interview with Aliaksei.
After the Roman Protasevich hijacking, do you feel safe?
It would be a lie If I said I feel safe, There is a feeling of fear by all of Lukashenko’s critics. I think more about safety.
I’ve not lost control, but I have held to my goal of telling the truth.
Were you expecting a “Ceausecu Moment” during the demonstrations?
Yes. No one wanted violence. If there is a civil war, the protesters don’t have guns. This is a movement of moral choice. Our choices were taken away from us. The country does not want to be a geopolitical chess piece between the east and the west. Belarus’s destiny must be decided by us not in foreign capitals.
There is a wrenching scene, standing outside the prison, is this a tradition in Belarus?
There are 350.000 detainees in the country. Not a tradition! A tragedy! This was the hardest scene to shoot. How to understand the emotion? Women reading a list of the disappeared. The nightmare of waiting for loved ones outside a prison, while inside, people are tortured. The crowd applauses when detainees are released.
You can see sense of loss in the guard’s eyes, especially the young ones. People on both sides are broken.
When Dzianis speaks about being abused in prison in the 90’s. It left me in doubt concerning hope. Oppression has been handed down, is this right?
It was important to bring this fact to the audience. Lukashenko has been power since 1994. I used archival footage to show how long this has been going on. He is not a dictator, he is a tyrant abusing his own country, declaring war on his people. Many turned a blind’s eye what was happening.
Are you political?
I can’t say I’m political. It is impossible not say anything cause the of critical situation. The trauma is huge.
The wife, Maryna, was the most pragmatic of the characters. She says, “What’s Next?”
She’s a mother.
What about the play and the actors, what happened?
All the performers were detained for a while. They knew the possible consequences. That is the courage. Keep fighting, overcoming the fear and hopeless.
Pavel left for Kiev. The Director of Photography is still in Belarus. After the Ryanair event, Myrna left on the last flight out. Denis was blackballed. He can not work anywhere.
Courage was screened in May with English subtitles
Running Time: 90 minutes
Built around 1298 or before, St. Mary’s Church is an impressive Gothic Style place of worship located in Straslund.
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Two shows that impressed me this Couture Season, Fashion House Balenciaga returned to Couture stage this season after 53 years. Hard shoes to fill, Cristobal is revered in the fashion world. Creative head Demna Gvasalia had his hands full. The expectations of failure came to my mind. Happily, “disappointed” because Demma step up the plate, swung the bat for a home run. Reinterpreting a master is not easy, finding a modern balance with a line to the heritage. Let’s consider the world is still suffering from Covid 19. Why introduce a couture collection? A long shot.
The lamp shade hats hooked me. Showstopper! The glorious piece topping a wool sleeveless frayed looks. Of course the over size suits hit the eyes with the glorious sensation of a child seeing cotton candy, sheer delight.
Valentino in Venice, not the normal location for the Italian house to have a Haute Couture fashion show. But, these are not normal times. Staging the catwalk in Italy, Pierpaolo Piccioli pulled the pride card, who can blame him given Italy’s
struggles over the past 17 month. Doing what Valentino has done best, matching the classy with the spectacular touching on ethereal. The vibrant color palette gave the touch of optimism.
Where to start on the looks? Eighty four creations in all shown at Venice Ship year. Being from the American South, of course will catch my attention. Throw in lavender, I will it a winner. The feathered top piece and mini leather cloaked dress was a stunner. Mixing in menswear with capes, oversized scarves and loose jackets, I guess there was a statement, yet, I missed it. Don’t get me wrong, the looks were superb, but i would rather have watched them in a mens show.
Life feels uncertain these days, however, “Creative is a natural extension of our enthusiasm.”
Filmmaker Alton Glass could have gone the easy way to make his film POV:Points of View, but decided to push filmmaking technology to a new realm. For some, the future will have the same choices as the present and past.
The interview with Mr. Glass.
Are you a futurist/technologist?
I enjoy both but I’m just a Storyteller using technology to prototype and reimagine the future.
You used state of the art cinema technology to tell an all too familiar story, is this irony?
Yes irony on many levels. I’ve learned narratives and algorithms are essentially the same thing. The impact and evolution of both can be beneficial or detrimental in many ways.
In your vision of the future, should citizens be concerned about the state?
Citizens should be aware and examine what’s happening with the state so you have agency at all levels where your civil liberties can be impacted.
What attracted to you filmmaking? Was there a particular film or director?
Robert Townsend and Michael Shultz who made Five Heart Beats and The Last Dragon. I fell in love with how they captured characters and their journey of growth. I love discovering the hidden gifts that we often don’t know was inside us all this time when you thought you were not enough no matter what time in your life. We create reality and I enjoy seeing those ups and downs as that power unfolds on screen or in any medium.
How will VR influence filmmaking?
I’ve heard the term Story living by Vicki Dobbs Beck at ILM and I think there’s a convergence of the two worlds of traditional filmmaking and immersive technology that will evolve into something special. I’m still learning so the influence and reward I see now is challenging storytellers to think outside the frame and understand the richness of a multi dimensional world. VR takes you from filmmaking to literally world building.
It might not be my generation who brings VR to it’s fullest potential but I’m happy to plant the seed and see where diverse voices will take immersive storytelling in the years to come.
POV:Points of View screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Running Time: 16 Minutes
The Before Tacky crew give their opinions on Milan Fashion Week Men.
This podcast sponsored by Colmar. See the t-shirt I am wearing below in this episode. 100% cotton colour blocked piece.
More images from the Baltic Hansa City Straslund and the its old city.
I have a saying “You Never Know Where People Will Be In The Future. I meet all kinds all the time. Some are starting their career. A few months or years later they are on the upswing. I met Patrick at a presentation in Milan. I grabbed a pic for my Hot Face Collection.
I have not visited an aquarium in years. Stralsund has a marvellous sea museum dedicated to sea life over three floors. The curved building opened in July 2008 on the city’s waterfront.
The Ozeoneum is opened from 9 to 8. Expect long lines dues to Social Distancing rules.
