From intense psychological realism to surrealistic parables, these stories, filmed in Belarus and abroad, explore how familiar reality cracks under the pressure of external circumstances and internal demons.
STRAIGHT AND IN A CIRCLE
by Palina Ramashka
(04:24, Lithuania)
It is a touching story of a refugee forced to leave his home in search of safety, healing, and a new sense of belonging.
TOMORROW I WON’T BE HERE
by Alexandra Tchebotiko
(04:04, Belarus, Poland)
Even on the most difficult day, filled with exhausting conversations in a foreign language and collecting documents for the immigration center, I always find 20 minutes during my tram ride when I can dream about the little “secrets” I notice around me – like the Horse that appeared at the stop.
HUMAN BEING
by Lena Le
(02:30, Belarus)
A parable about a man
xCUTx
by Vital Stužka
(06:50, Belarus)
The film is burning and I light up a cigarette.
Where am I? What is this snowy horrifying place?
Only a pair of scissors in my hand and nowhere to run.
I want to forget this place…
CAFE
by Arseniy Aleinik
(03:45, Czech Republic)
A girl writes her phone number on the glass, sparking a rivalry between her boyfriend and another guy who sent her a message. What begins as a simple gesture quickly escalates into a tense confrontation.
SAY CHEESE
by Kira Alsheuski
(09:00, Belarus, Poland)
A typical evening in a typical Belarusian family: Ian prepares dinner for his wife Kira and daughter Sonya. Things go off when he throws away a piece of gorgonzola. Ian receives a creepy video, Kira gaslights him and acts weird, and a phone robot summons him for KGB questioning. Panicked, he tries to flee, but his family stands in his way. The cheese seems to be the cause—until it doesn’t.
VERA
by Hanna Sulima
(11:22, Belarus)
Vera Alexandrovna is 80 years old. She lives alone in her apartment. Нer only company comes from her caretaker, Irina, and her son, Kirill.
Her days have long become monotonous: there is no room for chance, and everything happens according to her plan, exactly as she wants it.
Old age is unacceptable to her; to acknowledge it would mean accepting dependence, vulnerability, and the loss of control over her own life.
On a typical day, she takes a shower, reads a book, and visits her son. But this morning, a light bulb burns out — and nothing will ever be the same again.
Her son Kirill is apathetic and withdrawn: he fears her, resents her, and yet reveres her, making their relationship both dependent and destructive. This unresolved tension culminates in a desperate act.
Vera still keeps her composure, but the world slowly reminds her that control is an illusion and her carefully ordered life is beginning to unravel. This film is about the “first crack,” the moment when even the most orderly and measured world starts to fracture. In the near future, everything may fall apart completely.
SWINGERS
by Andrey Kashpersky
(16:32, Poland)
Several middle-aged people who barely know each other are trying to arrange a swingers party, but they are always hampered by adult issues: conflicting schedules, everyday difficulties, health issues, and family problems.
LOSER
by Alexandra Kutsen
(17:41, Poland)
Mela, a 15-year-old skater, feels lonely and lost, searching for her place in the world. She believes in the teachings of a controversial relationship guru – if you are not sexually active, you are a loser. In her search for closeness she meets 25-year-old Michał, who impresses her with his self-confidence. Their relationship becomes more complicated when Mela tries to seduce him. To accept herself she needs to confront her past and her biggest authority.
SELF-PORTRAIT AT THIRTY
by Nikita Lavretski
(07:50, Lithuania)
The director paints a self-portrait while feeling sad.
All XII NoFilter Kino programmes
At Close Quarters
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Fiction Swing
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Metanarratives & Vagrant Cinema + Food & Footage:
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Solo Soul Sauna
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Tamed Algorithms
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Through Sounds of Sirens
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Under Pressure
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