Minsk International Film Festival Listapad is organised since Belarus regained its independence in 1994. One of the sections at the festival is the International Documentary Film Competition. This year, twelve documentary films competed in the competition, including three Polish productions: "Brothers," "Casa Blanca" and "Call me Marianna" by Karolina Bielawska. The Grand Prix went to Wojciech Staroń, his film "Brothers" was chosen the best documentary film of the festival.
The film tells a story about two brothers, who managed to escape from a Soviet work camp, but cannot escape from each other. They love but at the same time hate each other. One is a dreamer, a painter, the other – a pragmatic scientist; fire and water. All their lives, they have to rely on each other: in the Soviet work camp, in the communist Russia and, after repatriation, in the capitalist Poland.
"Casa Blanca" by Aleksandra Maciuszek was given the special mention for the artistic depiction of people with limited abilities.
Casa Blanca – a small fishing village on the Bay of Havana. Nelsa and her son Vladimir, suffering from the Down's syndrome, share a small room in an overcrowded multi-family tenement house. Vladimir is the sole guardian of the ailing Nelsa, Nelsa – the only guardian of Vladimir, who easily gets into trouble. Their life is characterised by conflicts: the woman tries to control the son, while he, rather than being with his mother, prefers to spend time with the fishermen, helping them in their work, frolicking and drinking rum. Every day, Nelsa has to traverse the streets of Casa Blanca in search of her only son, who does not return home until late. One day, the woman's heath deteriorates.
The full list of award-winning films is on the festival's website.