Swedish doc Motherland from Sisyfos Film picks up heaviest CPH:DOX Prize

Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka‘s timely documentary Motherland, sold worldwide by Lightdox, scooped the DOX:Award from CPH:DOX’s main competition at Friday’s awards ceremony in Copenhagen.

Described to us by producer Maria Adamson (Sisyfos Film Production) as his biggest film to date (see our earlier story: Sweden’s Sisyfos Film unites Russian and Ukrainian filmmakers in Cannes, Motherland - a State of Fear and Violence captures the culture of violence and abuse in the Belarusian military.

In their film, Belarusian journalist/filmmaker Hanna Badziaka and Ukraine-Belarusian filmmaker/producer Alexander Mihalkovich denounce the decades-old tradition of ‘dedovshchina’, the practice of violent abuse and bullying in the army which has created among the young conscripts, generational trauma, deeply embedded in the country’s present-day culture and identity.

Through the real-life experiences of mothers and new conscripts, the filmmaking gives a snapshot of a troubled, modern-day Belarus.

Adamson who has closed ties to the Ukrainian film community in Sweden, was behind the multi-awarded How to Save a Dead Friend by Russian-born Marusya Syroechkovskaya who fled her country at the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The Swedish producer also co-produced Butterfly Vision by Ukraine’s Maksym Nakonechnyi, which played at Cannes Un Certain Regard.

Speaking to us about the DOX:Award to his film, Adamson said:
"The main award at CPH:DOX is for me - and I think I can speak for the whole team - an acknowledgment of years of hard work where we were heavily affected first by a global pandemic, then an attempt of a revolution in Belarus leading to the brutal oppression of its citizens and finally a devastating full scale war in Ukraine.

"To see that we managed to create a film that moves the audiences and that capture and convey the feeling of the ubiquitous fear and violence within the Belarusian society, means that our struggle was not in vain.

"Hopefully this moment can also be the time where we in the team - all deeply affected in different ways - can get closure , start the healing process and to look towards a future. Because there are still a lot of stories to be told and a lot issues to be solved and I hope and believe me, we will continue to be part of this choir of documentary filmmakers that try to do the world a little better place.

Motherland was co-produced by Ukraine’s Voka Films and Norway’s Folk Film, with support from the Swedish Film Institute, Eurimages and a dozen foundations. The film will be released in Sweden by Lucky Dogs.

Swiss-based Lightdox’s co-founder Anna Berthollet who has been following the film since 2021 said she is “proud of the amazing work that Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka did to witness the mechanisms of state violence and torture, in order to break young generations not only in Belarus but in all post-Soviet countries. “

“Motherland is simultaneously an eye-opening and a highly emotional film. As we always stand for important stories, all our team at Lightdox feel strongly engaged in defending this work on the international scene.”

The other CPH:DOX Nordic documentaries winners are the following:

• The Hostage Takers (Denmark), F:ACT Award-Special Mention winner.
  The film co-directed by Puk Damsgaard & Søren Klovborg for DR is the eery accounts from two imprisoned ISIS members involved in the killing of war correspondent James Foley, interviewed by Foley’s friend, journalist Sean Langan.
• Mrs. Hansen & the Bad Companions (Denmark), Nordic:Dox Award winner.
  Jella Bethmann’s film produced by Sonntag Pictures is the portrait of the 80-year-old Inger who provides a home for society’s outsiders, in her enormous villa.
• Lynx Man (Finland), Special Mention Nordic:Dox Award winner.
  Juha Suonpää’s film produced by Wacky Tie Films, turns on the elderly Hannu, his connection to nature and the Eurasian lynx hiding in the forests.
• Apolonia, Apolonia (Denmark), Politiken:Dox Award winner.
  Lea Glob’s up close and personal portrayal of French/Danish artist Apolonia Sokol won Best Film at the recent IDFA Festival.
• The Mountains (Denmark) - Special Mention Politiken Dox:Award winner.
  In the film produced by Made in Copenhagen, director Christian Einshøj tries to reconnect with his family, still grieving the loss of a brother and son, two decades earlier.

For the full list of CPH:DOX Awards and jury statements, check: https://cphdox.dk/