Dangerous Acts Starring The Unstable Elements Of Belarus (TBC), film review

3.00

(TBC) Madeleine Sackler, 76 mins

Geoffrey Macnab Author Biography

Geoffrey Macnab

Geoffrey Macnab is the author of several books on film

More articles from this journalist

Thursday 27 March 2014

Madeleine Sackler's documentary profiles the Free Theatre Company from Belarus, which has to stage its plays in the face of extreme persecution from the regime of the Arturo Ui-like dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

As the documentary reveals, several of the company's members have been forced into exile. Their future is uncertain and yet they continue to function.

"Work and laughter are what will save us," they proclaim. "To hell with the dictatorship. We are a theatre. We will perform."

The film features footage shot by citizen journalists of the brutal aftermath of the election in 2010 as well as scenes from the company's plays.

Absurdist dramas staged with grace and ingenuity, these "dangerous acts" draw attention in eloquent and very affecting fashion to the plight of Lukashenko's victims.

Arts and Entertainment
Larry David and Rosie Perez in ‘Fish in the Dark’

A cliché-ridden play will curb the enthusiasm of Larry David fans

theatreReview: Had Fish in the Dark been penned by a civilian it would have barely got a reading, let alone £10m advance sales
Arts and Entertainment
Victoria Wood, Kayvan Novak, Alexa Chung, Chris Moyles

Alexa Chung's secret skills impress as Chris Moyles makes Hollywood gag

tvReview: No soggy bottoms, but plenty of other baking disasters on The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
Arts and Entertainment
80s trailblazer: comedian Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman returns to BBC with new show

tv
Arts and Entertainment
Stephen Tompkinson is back as DCI Banks

DCI Banks returns - and it's a far cry from Broadchurch

tvReview: Episode one of the new series played it safe, but at least this drama has a winning formula
Arts and Entertainment

Drugs Live: Twitter reacts to Jon Snow and Jennie Bond smoking cannabis

TV
Arts and Entertainment
Daniel Craig and Rory Kinnear film Spectre in London

Sam Mendes teases clips from 007 film Spectre

film
Arts and Entertainment
Drake continues to tease ahead of the release of his new album

Drake matches Fab Four's chart record

music
Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition apps?
Arts and Entertainment

A History of The Great War in 100 Moments

ebooksNow available in paperback
Arts and Entertainment

The Great Composers: fourteen of the giants of Western classical music

ebooks
Arts and Entertainment
Attenborough with the primates

Gorillas nearly missed

tv
Arts and Entertainment
Former Communards frontman Jimmy Somerville

Jimmy Somerville 'I wanted people to love me'

music
Arts and Entertainment
Secrets of JK Rowling's Harry Potter workings have been revealed in a new bibliography

JK Rowling bibliography reveals Potter secrets

arts + ents
Arts and Entertainment
Fearne Cotton is leaving Radio 1 after a decade

First Zane, now Fearne's jumping the Radio 1 ship

radio The popular DJ is leaving for 'family and new adventures'
Arts and Entertainment

'She'd flirted around it for years': Catwoman finally comes out as bisexual

arts + ents
Arts and Entertainment
Public Service Broadcasting are going it alone

No label? No problem: A new generation of bands are going it alone

music
Arts and Entertainment
Eddie Redmayne as transgender artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl

Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

filmFirst look at Oscar winner as transgender artist
Arts and Entertainment
Season three of 'House of Cards' will be returning later this month

Has Frank gone soft?

TV reviewHouse of Cards returns to Netflix
Arts and Entertainment
Harrison Ford will play Rick Deckard once again for the Blade Runner sequel

Harrison Ford confirmed for Blade Runner sequel

film review
Arts and Entertainment
The modern Thunderbirds: L-R, Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John in front of their home, the exotic Tracy Island

New photos of non-puppet Thunderbirds released

TV
Arts and Entertainment
Natural beauty: Aidan Turner stars in the new series of Poldark

Poldark set to showcase the beauty of Cornwall

TV
Arts and Entertainment
Taylor Swift won Best International Solo Female (Getty)

Brit Awards 2015: Winners list in full

Brits 2015
Arts and Entertainment
Shining star: Maika Monroe, with Jake Weary, in ‘It Follows’

Tense teen horror It Follows gets under the skin

film review
Arts and Entertainment

Pharrell Williams becomes only non-white winner

Brits 2015
Arts and Entertainment
Paloma Faith arrives at the Brit Awards (Getty)

Paloma Faith wins British solo female gong at third attempt

Brits 2015
Arts and Entertainment
Anne Boleyn's beheading in BBC Two's Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall finale - 'simply brilliant TV'

TV review
Arts and Entertainment
Follow every rainbow: Julie Andrews in 'The Sound of Music'

The Sound of Music 50th anniversary

film Elizabeth Von Trapp reveals why the musical is so timeless
Arts and Entertainment
Bytes, camera, action: Leehom Wang in ‘Blackhat’

Blackhat used hacker to teach cast to code

film
Arts and Entertainment
The Libertines will headline this year's festival

The Libertines to headline Reading and Leeds

music
Arts and Entertainment
Richard Dean Anderson in the original TV series, which ran for seven seasons from 1985-1992

TV's handyman hero MacGyver returns – but with a difference

tv
Arts & Ents blogs

Crowds at Lahore Lit Fest ignore bomb risks and raise hopes for Pakistan’s future

Rolo Tomassi Interview: “It’s comforting to know that we’ve not been treated as a novelty”

Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti on Profondo Rosso reaching the big 4-0

Latest stories from i100

independent images

Have you tried new the Independent Digital Edition apps?
SPONSORED FEATURES

Legendary isle of nights

The festival that made rock’n’roll history boasts a star-studded line up.

Crowdfunding Prizes & offers Business videos

Crowdfunding: The end-end solution for business success.

Calling all entrepreneurs! See how crowdfunding can provide you with a full-circle, end to end solution for your business.

Isle of Wight Prizes & offers Business videos

Enter the latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

Isle of Wight Crowdfunding Business videos

Business videos from commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

Isle of Wight Crowdfunding Prizes & offers

ES Rentals

    Independent Dating
    and  

    By clicking 'Search' you
    are agreeing to our
    Terms of Use.

    Homeless Veterans campaign: Donations hit record-breaking £1m target after £300,000 gift from Lloyds Bank

    Homeless Veterans campaign

    Donations hit record-breaking £1m target after huge gift from Lloyds Bank
    Flight MH370 a year on: Lost without a trace – but the search goes on

    Lost without a trace

    But, a year on, the search continues for Flight MH370
    Germany's spymasters left red-faced after thieves break into brand new secret service HQ and steal taps

    Germany's spy HQ springs a leak

    Thieves break into new €1.5bn complex... to steal taps
    International Women's Day 2015: Celebrating the whirlwind wit of Simone de Beauvoir

    Whirlwind wit of Simone de Beauvoir

    Simone de Beauvoir's seminal feminist polemic, 'The Second Sex', has been published in short-form for International Women's Day
    Mark Zuckerberg’s hiring policy might suit him – but it wouldn’t work for me

    Mark Zuckerberg’s hiring policy might suit him – but it wouldn’t work for me

    Why would I want to employ someone I’d be happy to have as my boss, asks Simon Kelner
    Confessions of a planespotter: With three Britons under arrest in the UAE, the perils have never been more apparent

    Confessions of a planespotter

    With three Britons under arrest in the UAE, the perils have never been more apparent. Sam Masters explains the appeal
    Russia's gulag museum 'makes no mention' of Stalin's atrocities

    Russia's gulag museum

    Ministry of Culture-run site 'makes no mention' of Stalin's atrocities
    The big fresh food con: Alarming truth behind the chocolate muffin that won't decay

    The big fresh food con

    Joanna Blythman reveals the alarming truth behind the chocolate muffin that won't decay
    Virginia Ironside was my landlady: What is it like to live with an agony aunt on call 24/7?

    Virginia Ironside was my landlady

    Tim Willis reveals what it's like to live with an agony aunt on call 24/7
    Paris Fashion Week 2015: The wit and wisdom of Manish Arora's exercise in high camp

    Paris Fashion Week 2015

    The wit and wisdom of Manish Arora's exercise in high camp
    8 best workout DVDs

    8 best workout DVDs

    If your 'New Year new you' regime hasn’t lasted beyond February, why not try working out from home?
    Paul Scholes column: I don't believe Jonny Evans was spitting at Papiss Cissé. It was a reflex. But what the Newcastle striker did next was horrible

    Paul Scholes column

    I don't believe Evans was spitting at Cissé. It was a reflex. But what the Newcastle striker did next was horrible
    Miguel Layun interview: From the Azteca to Vicarage Road with a million followers

    From the Azteca to Vicarage Road with a million followers

    Miguel Layun is a star in Mexico where he was criticised for leaving to join Watford. But he says he sees the bigger picture
    Frank Warren column: Amir Khan ready to meet winner of Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao

    Khan ready to meet winner of Mayweather v Pacquiao

    The Bolton fighter is unlikely to take on Kell Brook with two superstar opponents on the horizon, says Frank Warren
    War with Isis: Iraq's government fights to win back Tikrit from militants - but then what?

    Baghdad fights to win back Tikrit from Isis – but then what?

    Patrick Cockburn reports from Kirkuk on a conflict which sectarianism has made intractable