The Free Belarus Museum presented its archival exhibition “Entry Point: Women’s Cause” as part of the 24th WATCH DOCS. Prawa Człowieka w Filmie festival taking place in Lublin.
WATCH DOCS is one of Poland’s most important documentary film festivals dedicated to human rights. It is a unique space where cinema, discussions, and cultural initiatives come together to foster dialogue about freedom, dignity, and solidarity.
The exhibition is designed as a space of personal women’s stories, where original belongings and clothing of Belarusian women become a language of testimony. These artifacts speak of the beauty and strength of Belarusian women who endured political persecution and unlawful detentions, prison sentences, and forced emigration, yet remained unbroken. The multimedia section of the exhibition further enhances the display, allowing visitors to hear the personal stories of its heroines — Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Halina Kazimirouskaya, Maryna Mentusava, Yana Shostak, Alana Hebramaryam, and other unbroken Belarusian women.
“The exhibition fit into the space very harmoniously. We opened the WATCH DOCS festival, and it was very pleasant and honorable for us,” a staff member of the Free Belarus Museum shared. “We explained that we had created this exhibition for International Women’s Day and primarily for women. People asked questions from the audience, and it was also very meaningful to feel the presence of our partners — the Embassy of the Netherlands, for whose representatives we conducted a separate tour in English. They emphasized the importance of supporting Belarusians.
We also screened videos on a large screen that had been filmed during the exhibition at the Free Belarus Museum. We added Polish subtitles, and that turned out to be a very good idea. People saw the faces of the heroines, listened to and read their stories, stopped by the screen, and did not just walk past. It helped make the exhibition even more vivid and relatable for the Polish audience.”
The exhibition, organized with the support of the organizations Homo Faber and “Helsińska Fundacja Praw Człowieka”, will run until May 22 at: Krakowskie Przedmieście 39B, 20-076 Lublin (Baobab space).
