Film Festival 09 - Themis as a Lady of Loose Morals
Themis As a Lady of Loose Morals
Femida, Belarus 2008, 85m
Director: Viktar Dashuk
This scathing, all-out exposé of the Belarusian social
justice system and of President Alexander Lukashenko's brutal
regime is as galvanising as any political documentary I've ever
seen. It's not just the shocking content - the on-the-spot footage
of political dissidents being whisked into oblivion - it's the
controlled ferocity of the filmmaker's anger as he reveals wave
after wave of abuse. He outlines the steps by which the legal
system has fallen under Lukashenko's exclusive control, amassing
damning evidence to draw a direct line from the methods of Stalin
to the rule of the new dictator. Eschewing straight journalism
Dashuk, who studied with Tarkovsky, makes no bones about putting
his case by adding his own sarcastic commentary to official
propaganda films. His title refers to Themis, goddess of justice
and morality, now degraded beyond recognition into whoredom.
Considering that he lives under constant surveillance, his coverage
is astonishing. Considering the thuggery he shows us, his bravery
is even more so. - Bill Gosden
In Russian and Belarusian, with English subtitles
