On June 17, the Atlantic Council, Belarussian-American Association, Freedom House, and the Joint Baltic American National Committee held a screening of the Belarusian film “Belarussian Dream” by Ekaterina Kibalchich.

“Belarusian Dream” is the first independent documentary film to look at what has happened in Belarus since the 2010 presidential elections. An award-winning film, it is the story of a young person from Minsk who has lived most of his life in a country ruled by a dictator.

Against the background of falsified elections, brutal repressions, and a severe economic crisis, it shows how more people in the most ‘stable’ post-Soviet country are starting to demand change. This is a story about how the regime can crush a person, and how you can find your own freedom in a state that possesses total control.

The film was directed by young journalist Ekaterina Kibalchich. Born in 1982 in Minsk, she moved to Russia in 2003. Ekaterina is a laureate of the Zolotoe Pero (Golden Pen) award from the Russian Union of Journalists.

Following the film, there was an informal session, including Q&A, with a panel of experts discussing the human rights situation in Belarus. The panelists include: Robert Nurick (Atlantic Council), Rodger Potocki (National Endowment for Democracy) and Susan Corke (Freedom House).