The documentary “Listy” (“Letters From the Silenced Country”) by Belarusian documentary filmmaker Andrei Kutsila has been selected for the programme of the Venice Film Festival, one of the world’s largest film festivals. The festival team announced the programme participants today.
The film, dedicated to political prisoners, will be screened out of competition in the Venice Open section. However, being included in one of the world’s three most prestigious Category A film festivals is a major achievement for Belarusian cinema.
Previously, the festival programme featured “Ivan Makarovich” by Igor Dobroliubov and “Come and See” by Elem Klimov, based on the works of Ales Adamovich, both produced during the Soviet Belarusian film era. “Letters” is believed to be the first documentary by a filmmaker from independent Belarus to be screened in Venice.
Andrei Kutsila has been working on the feature-length documentary for more than five years. It tells the story of the connection between Belarusian political prisoners and their loved ones across prison walls, showing how this fragile bond is sustained through letters.
Andrei Kutsila is a Belarusian documentary filmmaker known for such films as “Strip and war”, “Summa”, “Uścisków Twoich mi potrzeba”, “Holy Water” and “When Flowers Are Not Silent”. He is the recipient of numerous international and national film awards and a co-founder of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy. He has lived in Łódź since 2020.
The Venice Film Festival will take place from September 2 to September 12.
