The film was directed by Belarusian director Uladzimier Jankoŭski [be-tarask] (aka Vladimir Yankovskiy) based on a storyline written by Aliaksandra Barysava and Alena Kalunova and starred Mikalaj Śestak (aka Nikolay Shestak), a Latvian actor with Belarusian roots, in lead role.
"[6] “The film speaks about love and hate, war and revolution, life and death, creativity and literary gift.
[7] Designed as a flagship project of Belarusian state cinema company BelarusFilm, the film was due to be officially released in 2019.
The postponement is widely attributed to an anticipated hostile reaction in Russia to “a [Belarusian] post-colonial film [which depicts] Belarus [as] a colony first of the Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Empire...”,[4] a film “designed to help [Belarusians] understand who [they] are”.
The premiere was supposed to take place in Romford, East London, on an anniversary of the poet's death.