The British distribution company All3Media International continues its partnership with non-fiction specialists Roast Beef Productions as it launches its new feature-length documentary "The Accidental President" to the global market. From the Academy Award, BAFTA, and Emmy nominated team at Roast Beef Productions ("Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell?", "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"), "The Accidental President" is produced in association with All3Media International and NDR, Germany and Doc Society. The film has already been selected for the 4th International Documentary Film Festival Artdocfest/Riga.
The title follows the true story of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an ordinary housewife from Belarus who was thrust onto the international political stage when her husband was arrested for daring to challenge Alexander Lukashenko for the presidency. With her husband a political prisoner, Sviatlana courageously stepped forward and won the popular vote – but was robbed of her democratic victory by Lukashenko's dictatorial hand of power. Unbowed by deadly threats from her powerful political rival and the KGB, Sviatlana became a beacon of hope for change in her country.
Rachel Job, SVP of Non-Scripted Content at All3Media International, commented: "Following our global sales success with three-parter 'Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell?', we're very pleased to announce our latest collaboration with the genre-leading creative team at Roast Beef Productions. 'The Accidental President' puts the spotlight on a woman whose life has been profoundly transformed as she fights for the future of her country. Through Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's extraordinary story – audiences around the world can get a unique insight into this high-stakes struggle for democracy in Europe's last dictatorship," noted.
Mike Lerner(Producer) and Martin Herring (Director) contextualized the film with the current European political landscape: "Today, the world has finally woken up to Putin's tyrannical war against democracy and freedom. This film will show how Putin has been aided and abetted by his neighboring poodle, the fake president, Alexander Lukashenka, in their attempt to destroy democracy both in Belarus and Ukraine. The awe-inspiring bravery of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the thousands of ordinary Belarusians who refuse to accept this tyranny is an example to all of us all of the power of the individual to fight for truth and justice," highlighted.