Under the Grey Sky: inside the crisis in Belarus

In 2020, Belarus was rocked by mass protests following fraudulent presidential elections that returned autocratic leader Aleksandr Lukashenko to power. The new feature film from Belarusian-Polish director Mara Tamkovich, Under the Grey Sky, is based on the true story of a journalist, Kateryna Andreevna, who was arrested and charged with treason for broadcasting police brutality against protestors. The film follows the struggles of her fictionalised counterpart, Lena, and her husband as they deal with the aftermath of her detention and the moral and emotional challenges it presents. Under the Grey Sky is screening in London as part of this year’s Kinoteka Polish Film Festival as well as cities around the UK as part of the festival’s touring programme, in partnership with Klassiki.

This week on the show, host Sam Goff sits down with Mara to discuss the real life events behind her film, and to try and shed light on the situation in Belarus – a country in the grip of a brutal regime, and one that remains party to the war in Ukraine, but which is too often absent from conversations about the region.

You can find information about screenings of Under the Grey Sky at this year’s Kinoteka Film Festival, both in London and on tour throughout the UK, on the festival site. Read our interview with Belarusian documentary filmmaker Andrei Kutsila on the Klassiki Journal here, and explore the work of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy here.

Listen above or head to your favourite podcast app to subscribe now. The Klassiki Podcast is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Audible, and more.

Intro music by Juliet Merchant.