Music Partisans

Poland, 2008, 52’

Award winning director Miroslaw Dembinski presents a new documentary about the last European Communist regime in Belarus. There is a monument of Lenin in every town in Belarus, and you can find the hammer and sickle on every street. The powerful symbol of Soviet power is on sugar packets in cafes and even stamped on eggs. In this strangely absurd country of Soviet relicts, live real people. The older generation, afraid of change, are subjected to regime propaganda pressure, while young people dream of freedom. This documentary presents young rock music bands that are in opposition with Lukashenko’s regime. They express their attitude to the surrounding reality through their music, clothes and behaviour. Rock music is there to express their independence. “If you are afraid, nothing ever changes”, sings one of the rock bands in Music Partisans.

Miroslaw Dembinski’s last film, A Lesson of Belorussian (2006), was also dedicated to the youth of Belarus who are opposed to Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. A Lesson of Belorussian was screened at the Forum in 2006.

Directed by Miroslaw Dembinski

Produced by Film Studio Everest