Teneta - Instytut Pileckiego

A documentary based on accounts from witnesses to Russian crimes in Ukraine collected by the Lemkin Center.

Made in connection with the first anniversary of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, the documentary shows various facets of the tragedy of civilians in the occupied territories. The filmmakers give voice not to experts, politicians or journalists, but directly to those affected by the Russian invasion. Torture, persecution, omnipresent death, destruction of property and robberies – the scale of crimes experienced by the characters seems almost unthinkable for people living in contemporary Europe. Yet all of this is true: the documentary features authentic photographs and film materials that document the acts of violence. Employees of the Lemkin Center, who seek to reach both witnesses and victims of the crimes committed by Russian troops in order to inscribe them in the memory of the world, serve as background characters. For despite the enormity of the tragedy, there is still hope that after the end of the war – in defiance of the film’s title – justice will be done and the perpetrators will be punished. The documentary is directed by Aleksandra Kiereta.

In Ukrainian, “teneta” means a net for catching animals and birds, but it can also be used metaphorically to refer to the intertwining of, for example, branches; something that deprives you of freedom and puts you in a no-win situation; a broadly understood trap (e.g. of circumstances or lies); forcing someone to act in a certain way, or ensnaring them by cunning or deceit.