Kalinovski Square

Director Khashchavatski's voice-over is consistently ironic, though the events surrounding the Belorussian presidential elections in March 2006 were no laughter matter. He explains that the dictatorial president Lukashenko always thinks about his people's happiness. "See?" he comments on images of the silent president, "He is thinking about it now." He describes the closing down of the last independent TV stations as: "The era of absolute clarity has set in." We see various outdoor shots of the central square of Minsk, which was occupied by protesters after Lukashenko had fraudulently won the elections. In the torrential snow showers, the demonstrators stand firm for days and nights, until the police steps in. Khashchavatski shows policemen and members of the secret service filming the protesters and instructing so-called spontaneous counter-demonstrators. He shows the absurdity of the Lukashenko regime, who once considered Hitler as his role model, He also films reactions of the Belorussian population. From the young student Dasha's unbroken optimism to the dissatisfied rural population - who despite all their complaints about gas, electricity and food still swear to vote for Lukashenko again.