30-11-2011

PRODUCTION: Polish Film about Belarus in Production

By Katarzyna Grynienko

    WARSAW: Director Krzysztof Łukasiewicz has begun shooting Żywie Biełaruś, a Polish production about the political reality on Belarus.

    The lead character of the film is Miron, a young rock musician who openly speaks out against the political system of his country. He speaks in the Belorussian language and protests against the authorities, which lands him in the military as form of punishment. The screenplay also includes a love story thread.

    Łukasiewicz's film Lynch was considered one of the best Polish dramas of 2010. He is also the author of a script to General Nil, an important Polish historical production. The lead character of Miron is played by Zmicier Papko, a popular rapper from Belarus. The cast includes the Polish young actress Karolina Gruszka, who worked with Iwan Wyrypajew in his movie Kisłorod.

    The film is created under artistic supervision of Frank Wiaczorek, who is also the initiator of the project loosely based on his own life. Wiaczorek is a young opposition activist from Belarus and a son of Wincuk Wieczorek, one of the founders of the opposition movement in the country in the 1980's.

    The film is produced by Poland's Documentary and Feature Film Production Company (WFDiF, www.wfdif.com.pl) with financial support from the Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl) and the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

    Żywie Belarus is scheduled to be completed in February 2012 and premiere in cinemas in the second half of the year.