06/11/2024 - During our chat, we explored the programme of the hybrid gathering, organised by filmmakers in exile and showcasing the best of Nordic-Baltic cinema to Belarusian audiences

(© Vibeke Vogel)

We sat down with Volia Chajkouskaya, programme director of the Northern Lights Nordic-Baltic Film Festival (4-21 November) and one of the founders of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA). Chajkouskaya spoke about the event’s mission, touching on this year’s line-up and enhancing the visibility of anti-regime Belarusian filmmakers.

Cineuropa: Could you briefly discuss the inception of your festival and how it has grown to its current size?
Volia Chajkouskaya: The Northern Lights Film Festival started in 2015 out of an event that was not even supposed to be an annual film festival. Back then, I was working as a journalist and film critic, and I was asked by a Finnish Liaison Office in Belarus to organise a showcase of Nordic cinema. I was the only one they knew who was knowledgeable in cinema, as we were doing some other journalistic projects together. So, I selected the films, created the name and brand – Northern Lights – and launched the festival. In my first year, I had no team and was doing everything by myself, from writing press releases and managing social media to translating Q&As. It was really hard, but I learned a lot. We had screenings in Minsk, Homel and Vitsebsk. The festival was a success, and it felt obvious to carry on. Over the years, Northern Lights has gained a big audience in Belarus, turning into one of the most eagerly awaited cultural events. In 2020, everything changed – with fraudulent elections, protests and the subsequent repression, it became impossible for us to screen films in Minsk. I made the decision to move the festival online. It was hard, but it was a good decision, looking back on it. [It was] definitely better than shutting the festival down.

In 2022, we went hybrid – we resumed our offline screenings in Tallinn, in collaboration with the Black Nights Film Festival, and in Vilnius. This year, we also have screenings in Warsaw, while keeping the online edition, too. Now we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary. I feel like we’ve done a lot of great work for Belarusian independent cinema and the film festival movement, as well as contributed to the European film festival movement as a unique gathering in exile now based in Europe.

What are the highlights of this year’s programme?
There are many. In Warsaw, we’ll be screening offline Under the Grey Sky [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mara Tamkovich
film profile] by Mara Tamkovich, a story about anti-regime journalist Lena, who livestreams the brutal crackdown of a peaceful demonstration and is tracked down by a police drone. Nevertheless, she continues to broadcast and is arrested. The film is based on a real story. It’s totally heart-breaking and depicts the situation in Belarus now as it is. I love dearly the film The Light by Alexander Lind, which we are screening both offline and online. It’s the painful confession of an artist who opened up historical wounds and became a victim of a sexist witch hunt.

We also have Processes [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Polish-based Belarusian helmer Andrei Kashperski, a dark, dystopian satire and a collection of Kafkaesque anecdotes about a society living under the slogans “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength”. The film is inspired by the absurdity of the totalitarian regime in modern Belarus.

For the first time, we also have a special programme called Resilience, showcasing the human spirit’s ability to endure, adapt and resist. In a modern world rife with chaos and oppression, these titles explore the delicate balance between personal survival and collective struggle. Here we show films known on the festival circuit, like Faruk [+see also:
film review
interview: Asli Özge
film profile] by Aslı Özge, Direct Action [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell, and Who, If Not Us? The Fight for Democracy in Belarus by Juliane Tutein.

What type of collaboration did you establish with BIFA?
As I am a co-founder of BIFA, I’ve been seeking opportunities to promote it via Northern Lights, so as to enhance BIFA’s voice and presence. It has worked really well since we launched BIFA in 2022. We were doing several panels in Tallinn with PÖFF and Baltic Event, where BIFA was represented. I believe it helped to put us on the map internationally. Now, as a board member of BIFA, together with my colleagues, I think about how the organisation can develop and become sustainable.

What will be the main topics discussed during the dedicated panel hosted by Tallinn Black Nights?
The panel is titled “The Edge of Democracy: How to Remain a Filmmaker in a World Facing Challenges Like War, Displacement, (De)Colonisation and Censorship”. Speakers with different backgrounds are going to share their experiences about what it means to be a displaced filmmaker, a director coming from a country with a disturbing background, and how not to give up and remain one.

How important is it for films made by Belarusian exiles to reach wider audiences? Could you mention a few prominent examples from this year’s festival season?
It’s very hard. There is a lack of funding and education. Still, there are some successful cases, like Under the Grey Sky, which premiered at Tribeca and is now going into cinemas in Italy. Or Processes, which is travelling quite a lot within the festival circuit. Unwanted Kinship by Pavel Mazhar, which is also in our programme, premiered at the Berlinale this year. But it is hardly known widely. Of course, Belarusian independent cinema, as well as the Belarusian cause overall, needs more exposure and attention. We remain an underrepresented minority that is struggling to survive.

What are your long-term goals?
To survive! [laughs] But in terms of Northern Lights, we’d really like to expand our collaboration with other European festivals and get more local audiences engaged.