Film screening
Motherland

Directors: Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka, Norway/Sweden/Ukraine, 2023, 92min.
 
When young Nikita reports for compulsory military duty in 2020, he enters a generationsold tradition that hides a deadly secret in post-Soviet Belarus: dedovshchina, the practice of violent abuse and bullying that supposedly turns boys into men but which has instead created generational trauma deeply embedded in the country’s present-day culture and identity. 
 
Svetlana lives with this traumatic reality every day– her son was found hanged on base two years earlier as a result of dedovshchina, and a veil of secrecy continues to conceal his murderers. In this country where sons are disposable, and the instruments of control are out of hand, mothers emerge as inexhaustible fighters confronting the status quo. 
 
Nikita and Svetlana’s stories also frame a rage in the streets against the state-led violence, rooted in dedovshchina, that has become the very mechanism of fear the government uses to control its populace. 
 
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© DOP Siarhiej Kanaplianik

Alexander Mihalkovich is Belarusian-Ukrainian director and producer. He graduated with a PhD in Library Science and an MA in Film Directing at DocNomads international study program. His focus as a filmmaker is on long-term projects towards which he feels a close personal relationship. He produces documentaries with an experimental and creative background, beautiful cinematography, and a clear director’s vision. After creating several short documentary and experimental films, he made his debut feature film My Granny from Mars. Later he co-directed and produced long-term documentary film Motherland, which had premiere at CPH DOX 2023 film festival and won main award. Also it got Audience Award at Krakow Film Festival and Fipresci prize at goEast film festival and nominated to the European Film Academy Awards. 

© DOP Siarhiej Kanaplianik

Hanna Badziaka is a filmmaker with a background in journalism. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Philology from the Belarusian State University in 2010. She began her career as a video journalist for independent online media and later worked for the only independent TV channel in Belarus. As a journalist, she focused on social issues and everyday life topics. After gaining extensive experience in creating in-depth video reports, she became interested in documentary filmmaking. She then participated in creating several documentaries and worked as a director and scriptwriter for TV projects focused on short documentaries. Motherland, which she co-directs, is her feature documentary debut.