Documentary "We Have Not Lived in Vain": the protests in Belarus through the eyes of LGBTQ+ activists
- by
- 7 July 2021
“In the ongoing protests in Belarus against dictator Alexander Lukashenko and the sitting regime, the LGBTQ+ community walk alongside other demonstrators, with a common wish to see a regime change. The LGBTQ+ community perceives a political turn around as a first step towards a more inclusive society where the community would have a more defined space.”
This is the excerpt from the opening credits of a documentary co-produced by Belarusian LGBTQ+ activist, founder of MAKEOUT.by Nick Antipov, and Polish film director Bart Staszewski "We Have Not Lived in Vain" (Мы были на своем месте in Russian). In the film, three participants of the Belarusian protests of 2020-2021 and representatives of the country’s LGBTQ+ community, Sveta, Zenya, and Olya, share their experiences and feelings about the protests, the role of the LGBTQ+ community in the pro-democracy movement, and their aspirations for a free and inclusive Belarus.
Watch "We Have Not Lived in Vain" by Nick Antipov and Bart Staszewski: