Mara

Mara is a hybrid experimental documentary essay. We see the violence that has spread all over Belarus, as Alexander Lukashenko clings to power after disputed and controversial election results. There are groups of military in black with their faces covered. They don’t even need reasons to arrest. A young woman in the form of Mara, a female spirit in Slavic culture who comes to people in their sleep to bring them dreams or nightmares. Through the mythical character, she tries to cope with frightening reality. She creates hyper visuals to describe the emotional experiences of ordinary people. The narrative invites the viewer to join Mara while she watches the story unfold, haunted by the scenes on the street she is caught between facing her reality and escaping into her dreams. The film flips between esthetical dream images and real footage of police brutality. This is an essay about a communal nightmare, a nightmare which has bound a whole nation together.