Andrei Kureichik: Our country will be saved by self-irony

Mad Tea Party

Belarusans are in such a grave condition that sometimes there is nothing else left to do but laughing at this.

Such is the opinion to which adheres well-known screenwriter Andrei Kureichik. He likes reasonable combination of seriousness and good humor, that’s why he was happy to respond to the invitation to participate in the series of "Mad Tea Party" with philosopher Uladzimir Matskevich and blogger Evgeny Lipkovich.

"I agreed to drink tea with these people, in the first place because I believe that the future is ahead of the Internet TV. To date, Internet, including Bynet [Belarusan Internet - EuroBelarus], is the only area where there is any freedom of speech, says Andrei Kureichik. The second motivating factor was anchorpersons - brilliant polemicists, erudite people whom I have known, enjoyed reading and listening for a long time. And the third thing was that the talk show rose really important topics for Belarus. "Mad Tea Party" is a chance to openly speak on relevant topics without censorship. Thus, it’s funny and seriously. I think that irony and self-irony is what our country will saved by. We are in such a grave condition that sometimes there is nothing else left to do but laughing at this!”

The anchorpersons of the online program "Mad Tea Party" had decided this time to discuss the topic of patriotism with their guest. And they invited Andrei Kureichik for discussion in a place where one can not hide anything, where we are all equal - right in a bathhouse.

- I tried several times to leave, go out of the country, for a long time. And I felt worse there. Although I was living in the most beautiful cities of the world and earned very big money. Los Angeles, London, Paris ... It’s disgusting, suddenly confessed Kureichik. I came here - and was happy. I understand though that this emotion is similar to a feeling of a pig in a trough, yes. Like wallowing in a mud. And somehow I feel joy. This is mud, it is also an object of patriotism.

- You can not love shit! opposed Uladzimir Matskevich.

- Our country is crippled? asked a screenwriter in response. Crippled. A cripple country, and we love it.

The philosopher didn’t fail to argue on:

- But then a cripple isn’t locked up in four walls, but people make ramps, paths for him/her, and so on, this person is let going out in the streets, he/she is accompanied, helped. Thus, a country that is in such a condition, if we are chattering all the time about patriotism, about love and so on, we should help. Love is not a feeling, as such, it is an effective thing. And there is another approach. Okay, it is ugly, it is in shit, - let it be. We will love this manure.

- And in fact a lot of people act exactly like this, agreed Kureichik.

- It’s a national tradition, living in a clutter, sighed the blogger Lipkovich.

What is a "bloody" patriotism and who is a true patriot? What will happen to Belarus, if it is occupied by the Chinese? What is patriotism dangerous with and why should we love the planet? The "Mad Tea Party" participants tried to answer these questions, and the author of the acclaimed film project "Above the sky" Andrei Kureichik even announced his own plan of Moscow’s military capture by Belarusans.