From September 7th to 14th, the Balkan Documentary Center, together with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Czech Center, is organizing Sofia DokuMental, a film festival dedicated to the best documentary cinema, which focuses on topics that provoke heated public debates. Last year, the forced festival was held online, but in 2021 it will welcome its audience live.
Under the slogan “Do cross the line”, selected films will invite viewers to “cross” the border and watch a different and bold cinema in selected art places.
The festival will open on September 7 with the film “The Earth is Blue as an Orange” by Irina Tsilik (Award for Best Director – “World Cinema Documentary”, 2020 Sundance), in the heart of Sofia – in the domed space of Largo, where, in the open air, among the symbolic ancient past of the city and the so-called “triangle of power” will be one of the permanent locations of the festival. Center.
This year’s selection includes 40 of the best contemporary documentaries from around the world. They will be part of thematic sections that cover the hottest topics of our time, such as “Insiders” – remarkable stories told by internal sources revealing injustice;
“We have a problem with guns” – films about the current military conflicts and their consequences;
“Fight the power” – the stories of incredibly brave people who oppose the status quo;
“On nature’s side” – representing the complex modern connection between people and nature.
The festival will also have a competition program that aims to encourage young women directors in the field of documentary cinema. As in the zero edition in 2020, so now, the audience will be able to vote for the best film of the event.
Among the confirmed titles are the award-winning “Sabaya” by Hogir Hirori (World Cinema Documentary Award, 2021 Sundance), “The Dissident” by Brian Vogel (one of the Oscar-nominated documentaries in 2021) and “I am Greta” by Nathan Grossman, who follows young activist Greta Thunberg.
This year, too, the festival will host a workshop for young documentarians with projects that address human rights issues. A total of six author teams will have the opportunity to present their projects to some of the most influential professionals in the field of documentary cinema.
The entire program will be announced in mid-August.
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