Volya Dzemka Productions Presents
Documentary about disappearing cultural traditions of Belarus
Directed, Produced and Edited by Volya Dzemka
www.belarusian-songs.com
Watch in English: www.amazon.com/Songs-Old-Euro...
An intimate, rare look into a very different world that has been isolated for centuries, the world of Belarusian folks songs, which were kept alive for thousands of years and are still performed today by Belarusian villagers, but vanish rapidly with disappearance of the village life and their carriers.
The Republic of Belarus, a country of 9.5 million people, was formerly part of the Soviet Union until gaining its independence in 1991. Although struggling economically, Belarus is rich in culture.
Belarusian folk songs are considered by ethnographers to be the oldest and best preserved in their original form European folk songs that are still performed today. These songs are closely tied to rituals and seasons. Five hundred songs could be sung for one single wedding, from the day of the proposal until the wedding, which itself could last up to two weeks. However, these songs and the people who sing them were looked down upon and ill-treated, even in their own country. Many Belarusians today don’t fully realize the significance of their traditional songs.
Political and economic shifts, decrease in the village populations, technological progress and the devastation brought by the meltdown of the nuclear reactor in Chernobyl in 1986 have had an erosive effect on the Belarusian singing tradition: the folk songs are quickly disappearing. With no real solution to the problem, we are faced with the importance of careful documentation and preservation of authentic songs that can still be found in remote Belarusian villages. Therefore, making this documentary was a race against the clock. Even some of the authentic singers featured in “The Songs of Old Europe” have passed away since being filmed, before they had the chance to see themselves on screen.
Thank you for watching and enjoy!
Volya and The Team
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