Khashchevatsky: Lukashenka Wants to Convince Himself He Is Not "The Emperor With No Clothes"

Dictator creates a fiction that has nothing in common with reality.

Well-known Belarusian film director Yury Khashchevatsky told in the interview to Radio Svaboda why Lukashenka needed "All-Belarusian Assembly", whether there was a boy who said "the emperor has no clothes" and why current Belarusian life was similar to "The Matrix".

- Why does Lukashenka take such assemblies? He seems to have 80-90 official per cents of votes, subordinate vertical.

- I guess the thing is in the way of thinking. Amid all these fake per cents (he knows it well), he wants to convince himself that he is "people's" president and everyone loves and supports him. And he's trying to persuade himself in its reality.

And it happens quite often. Can you recall the moment when after the death of Henadz Karpenka he told that Lyudmila Karpenka came to him and asked for shoes, there was allegedly nothing to bury her husband in? That was fiction! He creates legends for himself. This is the desire to convince himself.

But deep in his mind he understands what is going on. He feels that it is the collapse, the wrong way - Russia-oriented - has been taken since 1994 (he used to dream about the Kremlin, the Golden Cap ). That mistake turned to be fatal for him. Everything collapsed, and he is now on chain, wearing collar put on by Putin. And now Lukashenka tries to persuade himself that everyone loves him.

- It may be an ordinary person's desire to perform before a great audience and which says nothing against. It is always desirable.

- Yes, the dictator creates a fiction that has nothing in common with reality. The one he would like to live in. It reminds of a fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Andersen. The emperor is naked, but everyone pretends he's wearing a good clothes. These are the same principles the Belarusian economy and life are based on.

- What can you say about the "crowd"? How much of them do you think sit "sticking 2 fingers up at him" in their pockets or feel proud being invited to such an "important " event?

- I guess most of them are people of the second kind. It is nice to feel yourself a part of something great. Lukashenka doubles people like him, he put the same values and intentions on the surface. These people also want to be "the ones".

What does drive them there? Fear to drive home reality. They are even afraid of telling the truth to themselves. Second, the sense of future benefits. If you get your head up the leader's ass you can have a piece of cake as well. And you'll become a little Lukashenka in your region. This is how it works.

- How did such "assembly" look like? Someone mentions meetings of the communist party, others say they are like meetings in the North Korea. If you found yourself there what film you'd like to do?

- To some extent, it looks like The Matrix: it has captured all the people and they cannot get out of there. All day long they are told what a beautiful live we live and how it is bad in the West and they can't break through this matrix. It also reminds of "Wag the Dog" when the war is launched on TV to get a power.

But first it is The Emperor's New Clothes. And I'd like to find a small boy who would say that the emperor has no clothes. This is the dream of conscience which generates monsters.

- You are the author of Ordinary President filmed in 1996. Would you like to do anything else about the main hero now? Or has everything been said?

- I often think about it. You know, Lukashenka's made our life stop. Belarus is in a torpor. Since 2006 nothing has changed. Now the society takes the ball. Now the movie should not be about Lukashenka who has stuck.

It is interesting how the society is trying to find the way out. There are some mere breakthroughs. People are trying to survive. It would be interesting to catch the situation on a hidden camera.

There will be the moment when everything ends and he loses his power. Only after that I'd like to talk to Lukashenka. I wonder how he will treat it. He'd like to put a monument made of gold for himself: he's built the library, ice palaces, residences... He may present himself as David the Builder from Georgia. But it is not true! I wonder whether he knows it. Whether he understands that he's got in the trap with his Russia-oriented way. Whether he realizes that this way has deprived him and the country from many opportunities. So, after his overthrow I'd like to talk to him.