DIE STANDING UP

Filled with unexpected twists and turns, and intercutting archival footage with interviews and observational cinema, Die Standing Up paints the portrait of the disabled activist Irina Layevska and her daily routine at the side of her life partner Nelyda. Old photos and film clips shed light on the past of this 50-year-old woman. In the 60s, her militant leftist parents gave their children a strict communist upbringing. At an early age, Irina was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite her health problems, during the 80s, inspired by the ideas of Che Guevara, Irina was very active in the solidarity campaign towards Cuba. Having spent many years confined to a wheelchair, Irina is now also blind, which makes her even more dependent on her partner. Her health is deteriorating, Che’s ideals remain unrealized, but Irina’s struggle against discrimination and prejudice continues unabated.