The panel asked the pressing question of how filmmakers can continue their craft in a world marked by war, displacement and censorship

l-r: David Vashadze, Volia Chajkouskaya and Davide Abbatescianni during the panel

On 20 November, the Industry@Tallinn sidebar of this year’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival hosted a panel titled “The Edge of Democracy: How to Remain a Filmmaker in a World Facing Challenges Like War, Displacement, (De)Colonisation and Censorship”. The one-hour talk, moderated by Cineuropa journalist Davide Abbatescianni, was held at the Nordic Hotel Forum and was organised in co-operation with the Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival.

The debate saw the participation of Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival founder and programme director Volia Chajkouskaya (see our interview), Belarusian filmmaker Andrei Kashperski (now based in Poland), Latvian producer Uldis Cekulis, Belarusian filmmaker Yulia Pogrebnyak (now based in Finland), head of the independent Georgian Film Institute David Vashadze and Belarusian filmmaker Tanya Haurylchyk (now based in Berlin).

Chajkouskaya, who founded the Northern Lights Nordic Baltic Film Festival in 2015, has been supporting exiled Belarusian directors since 2020 and added a dedicated Ukrainian programme to the festival in 2022. She acknowledged the geographical scattering of filmmakers living outside their home countries but stressed the importance of maintaining a shared sense of purpose and connection. She also established the Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA) in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Chajkouskaya explained that the academy has allowed the Belarusian film community to express its opposition to the war and to create opportunities for funding.

Vashadze touched on the troubled context of his native country and spoke about the efforts of the Georgian Film Institute, an independent body founded in response to recent constraints on artistic freedom and censorship within the Georgian National Film Center, which recall the oppressive policies of Soviet times. To date, the Georgian Film Institute has gradually been emerging as a symbol of hope, fighting for creative freedom, and striving to have an impact on the country’s society and film industry alike.

Kashperski discussed his recent projects, including Processes [+see also:
film review
film profile], a tragicomedy about the absurd systems in Belarus, which he described as “Black Mirror without the technological elements”. The series was backed by Polish-based broadcaster Belsat TV, which had also supported his earlier short films. However, Kashperski noted that Belsat TV is now facing its own financial difficulties, leaving him to seek alternative funding sources. His upcoming project, Judgement of the Dead, imagines resurrected bodies who hunt their judges and is inspired by a Belarusian law allowing lawsuits against deceased individuals. He expressed hope for financing opportunities through the Berlinale or US funding sources.

Cekulis, who has collaborated with Ukrainian filmmakers such as Roman Bondarchuk on the 2015 documentary Ukrainian Sheriffs [+see also:
trailer
film profile], suggested that filmmakers working under challenging circumstances should release their work sooner, even if it means compromising on quality. He observed that Ukrainian directors often impose a high level of self-censorship to ensure their films are perfect. To overcome delays, Cekulis recommended involving fresh collaborators, such as editors with an external perspective, to streamline post-production and make films more accessible to international audiences. While this approach requires directors to relinquish some creative control, he argued it could help enable their work to reach broader audiences faster.

Pogrebnyak highlighted the complications that nationality can introduce when seeking funding for projects. She is currently developing a feature about a Belarusian performance artist living in exile in Finland. Pogrebnyak noted that having a Belarusian director raises questions about eligibility for Finnish grants, while selecting a Finnish director complicates the film’s Belarusian identity. This dilemma underscores the unique challenges faced by filmmakers navigating exile.

Haurylchyk, while continuing to work as a freelance cinematographer, is currently developing her first feature-length documentary as a director. She spoke about her “fresh exile” and her struggles to accept it. Her new project tackles the use of the Belarusian language in Belarus, “a subject that’s difficult to sell and explain”. She also called for Belarusian filmmakers to remain “understandable” and visible, beyond Polish borders.

The event was rounded off by a Q&A session.