Venice, Italy – September 12, 2026 – The Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary in Partnership with Artemis Rising Foundation, has been awarded to Letters from the Silenced Country, directed by Andrei Kutsila. The prize is presented as a Collateral Impact Award of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
Jury members Helen Hoehne (President, Golden Globes), Regina K. Scully (Founder and CEO, Artemis Rising Foundation), Geralyn White Dreyfous (Academy-Award winning Producer and co-founder of Impact Partners), Danielle Turkov Wilson (CEO and Founder of Think-Film Impact Production) and Liza Soberano (Actress – Forgotten Island; Save the Children Philippines Ambassador) selected Letters from the Silenced Country for its courageous storytelling, deeply human perspective, and striking visual artistry.
Directed by Belarusian filmmaker Andrei Kutsila, Letters from the Silenced Country portrays contemporary Belarus through the lives of five individuals whose lives have been upended by state violence and political repression. Built around personal letters written from prison, exile, and underground life, the film combines observational documentary, archival footage, and animation based on drawings created in confinement. Rather than a broad political overview, the film focuses on individual stories, of protest, imprisonment, escape, and everyday resistance, told through the people living them.
“Letters from the Silenced Country puts a human face on a crisis too often reduced to headlines and numbers, illustrating the impossible choices people make to hold on to their humanity,” the jury said, in announcing their winning choice. “Though it is rooted in Belarus, its story reaches far beyond one country’s borders, it speaks to anyone who has ever loved someone from a distance, or fought to stay connected to who they are under pressure to disappear. The way the director blends letters, drawings, and memory into the storytelling captures not only grief, but love, hope, and tenderness – the full range of what it means to remain human. It’s a powerful example of how a documentary can show how the most personal stories can also be the most universal.”
The jury collectively added, “This year, the number and calibre of documentaries at the festival marks a clear sign of how much this form of storytelling has grown in mainstream visibility and importance. We hope this momentum continues: more financing opportunities, more festivals and awards giving documentaries recognition, and more room for storytelling that has the power to change how we see the world.”
The Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary in Partnership with Artemis Rising Foundation, honors a documentary feature film in the Biennale’s official selection, either in or out of competition, that is calling attention to a key social issue with journalistic and creative prowess. It is a continuation of the partners’ commitment to elevating documentary film, with effects that go beyond the scope of the festival. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000 USD from Artemis Rising Foundation.
