When anti-regime journalist Lena (Aliaksandra Vaitsekhovich) is arrested for livestreaming the brutal crackdown of a demonstration protesting the 2020 Belarusian election, her husband Ilya (Valentin Novopolskij) is confronted with an impossible situation. Subjected to further police raids and facing the likely reality that his wife will spend years in prison, Ilya must reckon with what he might have to give up by standing with Lena. At the same time, an incarcerated Lena is under pressure from the authorities to renounce her activism and betray her firmly held principles. 

Mara Tamkovich’s debut feature paints a chilling picture of political repression in the 21st century, when access to the internet, drones and social media have become entwined with public life. Inspired by the true story of Katsyaryna Andreeva and Igor Ilyash, Under the Grey Sky unflinchingly depicts the personal toll political activism can take while still being a vital reminder of its ultimate necessity. It’s a film specific to Belarus, but with increasing international relevance.––Jarod Neece

Mara Tamkovich