CENTRALNY

19th September 2025

Special Film Screening: Centralny

Beerstation, Warsaw | Start: 6:00 PM

A unique glimpse into a forgotten Minsk — and the lives that once filled it.
Filmed seven years ago by members of Belarus Free Theatre – ‘Centralny’ is a documentary portrait of the city’s most legendary department store. More than a supermarket, ‘Centralny’ was a gravitational centre — a bar, a meeting place, a social stage.

Teachers, artists, pensioners, students, the homeless, and government officials gathered around the country’s longest bar counter to share drinks, sandwiches, and conversation. The air was thick with freedom.

Today, the building remains. But many of its people are gone.
This film is a tribute to a kind of everyday freedom that has vanished from Belarus.

The screening will include:

•  Short scenes from the original stage production “Centralny”
•  Open mic: audience stories & memories
•  A quiz on the store and the city — prize: legendary cake Mechta 
•  Drinks-for-tokens: exchange drinks for classic sandwiches
•  Belarusian & post-Soviet music playlist

(Please note: places and tokens are limited — arrive on time!)