The viewing and discussion of the film was organized by the Human Rights House in Vilnius, ByWatch and Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights within the framework of film festival “Inconvenient Films.” The mission of this non-profit initiative is to raise awareness on human rights issues around the world. Representing a variety of documentaries on major topics related to human rights, the organizers hope to encourage public debate on human rights issues.

Viewers were shown thirty-minute film “Staging the Revolution” about the activities of the Free Theatre of Belarus. People interested in how to get to the performance of the theatre, are directed to via e-mail and SMS-messages to specific locations on the outskirts of Minsk, from where they are then cautiously led into a small house. In the “last dictatorship in Europe”, as Lukashenka’s regime is often referred to , this small building with a small makeshift auditorium and a group of enthusiasts have a unique island of freedom. Although the actors are well aware that every performance in which they criticized Lukashenka’s regime, may well be their last, they still work.

After the screening of the film, the viewers participated in a discussion with former inmate of KGB prison Uladzimir Kobets, Belarusian civic activist Aleh Miatselitsa and Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, the press secretary of ex-presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau Responding to questions from the audience, the participants said that the Belarusian opposition is united by a desire to overthrow the Lukashenka’s regime and the fact that despite belonging to different organizations, they all sat in one KGB prison. Aliaksandr Atroshchankau (right) at the same time stressed that people do not want to overthrow the government by force, and but on the countrary are waiting for democratic change peacefully.

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