''Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus'' is a 2013 American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

directed by

Madeleine Sackler Madeleine Sackler is an American filmmaker, heiress, and member of the Sackler family. She received an Emmy in 2015 and was nominated for a second one in 2020. Her grandfather, Raymond, was one of the three Sackler brothers who created and owned P ...

detailing the experiences of the illicit

Belarus Free Theatre Belarus Free Theatre is a Belarusian underground theatre group. Under the current political system the Belarus Free Theatre has no official registration, no premises, nor any other facilities. Rehearsals and performances (always free of charge ...

(BFT) during the political revolution of independence. The film's footage from Belarus was smuggled out by the camerawomen in Belarus. Other scenes were filmed in the United States and the United Kingdom, including uncensored interviews with BFT actors. The film documents the personal and artistic struggles of several members of the BFT, showing the high costs they are forced to pay when defying the governing regime. It also documents one of the presidential candidates,

Andrei Sannikov Andrei Olegovich Sannikov (or Andrei Sannikau, be, Андрэй Алегавіч Саннікаў, russian: Андрей Олегович Санников, born 8 March 1954) is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed ...

, who was arrested by the KGB following his presidential run.

Cast

* Pavel Gorodnickij * Nicolai Khalezin, co-founder of BFT * Natalia Kaliada, co-founder of BFT * Tatyana Mikhailovna Kaliada * Andrei Andreevich Kaliada * Andrei Sannikov * Oleg Sidorchik * Vladimir Shcherban, co-founder of BFT * Yana Rusakevich * Maryna Yurevich Source:

Awards

The film premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

and won many awards at several film festivals, including the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, where the film was a "Top Twenty Audience Favorite." The film received second prize at the TRT Documentary Awards, and a 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Programming in the News and Documentary category.

Reception

Reviewers called the film "engrossing" and "powerful and stirring". It retains a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score. "Not only is it moving to watch these artists express their rage and frustration and tell the stories of their lives, but their urgency and compulsion to perform against all odds feeds their art. It's damned compelling." The final scenes of the movie are a collection of supportive endorsements for BFT from

Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produ ...

Kevin Kline Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five ...

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...

and the late Czech playwright-president Vaclav Havel. The film was picked up by HBO.

References

{{Madeleine Sackler 2013 documentary films 2013 films 2010s American films 2010s English-language films 2010s Russian-language films Belarusian-language films Censorship in Belarus Documentary films about Belarus Documentary films about theatre Films about censorship Films directed by Madeleine Sackler HBO documentary films Politics of Belarus