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

(TBC) Madeleine Sackler, 76 mins

Geoffrey Macnab
Thursday 27 March 2014 23:35 GMT
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The poster for 'Dangerous Acts starring the unstable elements of Belarus'
The poster for 'Dangerous Acts starring the unstable elements of Belarus'

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.

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