The banning of books is not only an act of censorship, but also a violation of the right to freedom of expression and access to information, as enshrined in international treaties. PEN Belarus documents every case to ensure that the truth about cultural repression is preserved and heard.
In the film, we talk about the situation with banned books in Belarus and around the world, the history of such bans, and their legal consequences. We also spoke with people directly affected by this issue — authors, publishers, international experts, and human rights defenders — who shared their perspectives on the problem of book banning.
The film features: Taciana Niadbaj (PEN Belarus), Daniel I. Pedreira (PEN Cuba), Justyna Czechowska (PEN Poland), Hanna Nordell (PEN Sweden), Jennifer Finney Boylan (PEN America), Andrej Januškievič (Belarusian publisher), Jury Kozikaŭ (lawyer, PEN Belarus).
The film is available with two subtitle options: Belarusian + English, and Belarusian + Polish.
Film with Belarusian and English subtitles:
Film with Belarusian and Polish subtitles:
The film helps to shed light on what is currently happening to Belarusian books, the repression they face, and how this affects the state of Belarusian culture as a whole. It was first screened in November 2025 in Gdańsk at the exhibition “Belarus. Voices of Banned Books,” held as part of the Giedroyc Prize ceremony. The exhibition is currently on view at the Free Belarus Museum until 7 February 2026. Read more about the exhibition here.
More information is available at bannedbooks.penbelarus.org.