The film programme of DOK.fest München. At the cinema. At home.

3 to 14 May 2023 at the Munich venues
8 to 21 May 2023 @home

As always, DOK.fest München opens the view out to the world: with 130 of the best and most current international documentaries from 55 countries. Our goal is the greatest possible participation in our films, which is why we bring them to the big screen in Munich cinemas as well as to home screens throughout Germany: DOK.fest stays dual.

DOK.guest Canada

Indigenous culture and megacities, monarchy and liberalism – seven documentaries from and about Canada. The series is part of Canada's cultural programme as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020/21, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada and the Government of Canada.

LES LIBRES – THE FREE ONES (Canada 2020, Nicolas Lévesque). On the production lines, surrounded by mountains of timber, former criminals try to find their way back into society.

#North America, #Hero's Journey

DOK.international Main Competition

Slices of life, insights and perspectives: The films of the International Competition open doors to new worlds for us. They compete for the VIKTOR DOK.international Main Competition, which is endowed with 10,000 euros. The prize sponsor is Bayerischer Rundfunk.

ANNY (Czech Republic 2020, Helena Třeštíková). Who is Anny? A sex worker in post-socialist Prague searches every day for happiness.

#Hero's Journey, #Balkans, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

DOK.deutsch Wettbewerb

Intense stories and the unusual on one's own doorstep: the competition presents films that deal with people and topics in German-speaking countries. The VIKTOR DOK.deutsch Competition is endowed with 7,500 euros. The prize sponsor is Sky.

SOLDATEN – SOLDIERS (Germany 2021, Christian von Brockhausen, Willem Konrad). Intimate insights into the fears and dreams of young soldiers in Germany’s federal armed forces

#Sweat and tears, #Hero's Journey

DOK.panorama

DOK.panorama shows innovative documentary films from all over the world mapping the diversity and current trends of documentary storytelling – including many new discoveries and premieres.

EIN CLOWN | EIN LEBEN – A CLOWN | A LIFE (Austria 2021, Harald Aue). Bernhard Paul and his “Circus Roncalli”: a homage to the poetic art of clowning

#The art of living: sculpture, theatre, music, dance, photography, #Hero's Journey

EL NIÑO DE FUEGO – BOY FROM THE BLAZE (Spain 2020, Ignacio Acconcia). Stepping into the limelight: musician Alexio begins to live again after a serious accident.

#Moving forward together: Films on inclusion, #Southern Europe, #Hero's Journey

LOST BOYS (Finland 2020, Joonas Neuvonen, Sadri Cetinkaya). A man looks for his friends who have gone missing in Cambodia’s drug world. A film about getting lost and being lost

#Monstrously human: abysses and catastrophes, #Scandinavia and Northern Europe, #Hero's Journey

BEST OF FESTS

Innovative cinema and intimate insights: The BEST OF FESTS series brings together films that have already been screened at other important festivals and celebrated or awarded prizes there.

GORBACHEV. HEAVEN (Czech Republic, Latvia 2020, Vitaly Mansky). Looking back over a lifetime: possibly the last documentary with Mikhail Gorbachev

#Limitied films, #Hero's Journey, #The late Pathes: Ageing and Dying, #Balkans, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

DOK.focus Empowerment

Empowerment - the game changer in the struggle for social justice. In the thematic series, we accompany empowerment movements around the world and in various aspects of life. Six films – one call: Empower yourselves!

NOT GOING QUIETLY (United States 2021, Nicholas Bruckman). Supportive, inspiring and motivational: a powerful portrait of the activist and ALS patient Ady Barkan.

#Moving forward together: Films on inclusion, #Subtitles for the hearing impaired, #North America, #Limitied films, #Hero's Journey, #Get outraged!

Homage Helena Treštíková

The Czech director is a master of long-term observation, the freestyle of documentary work. She herself once described her working method as "time-lapse filmmaking". As part of the homage, we present nine films from different creative phases of the director.

ANNY (Tschechische Republik 2020, Helena Třeštíková). Who is Anny? A sex worker in post-socialist Prague searches every day for happiness.

#Hero's Journey, #Balkans, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

MALLORY (Czech Republic 2015, Helena Třeštíková). Simply living a happy life - an almost unattainable goal for Mallory

#Hero's Journey, #Balkans, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

Munich Premieres

Munich is the home of most of the filmmakers whose works are gathered together in the Munich premieres. But time and again, the view extends far beyond the city limits.

TEACHERS FOR LIFE – TEACHERS FOR LIFE – LEARNING IN HARMONY (Germany 2020, Julian Wildgruber, Kathrin Höckel). Exam nerves and self-doubt at school? It can be avoided. Four passionate teachers show us how.

#Hero's Journey, #Nominated films FFF Young Talent Award

WARUM KANN DER TEUFEL NICHT SCHÖN SEIN – WHY CAN'T THE DEVIL BE BEAUTIFUL (Germany 2020, Danial Shekar). A journey from Munich to Berlin by foot in seven days – carrying 32kg. How will it end?

#Nominated films FFF Young Talent Award, #Hero's Journey

DOK.education

The educational programme of DOK.fest München considers itself a "school of seeing", which combines media literacy and cultural education. It is aimed at children, young people, families and schools.

ANNE FLIEGT – ANNE VLIEGT (Netherlands 2010, Catherine van Campen). 11-year-old Anne, a cheerful pretty girl, tries every day to make sure people don't notice her tics. The neurological disorder Tourette's syndrome forces her to do this: she has to twist, twitch or even lick things. If she could manage to talk openly about it, it might make her life easier.

#Moving forward together: Films on inclusion, #Hero's Journey, #France and Benelux, #DOK.education, #DOK.4teens

DANCING ABDULLAH (Germany 2019, Marco Giacopuzzi). 10-year-old Abdullah loves "street dance". When he hears music, he has to dance. Dancing makes him think of his home country Syria and forget his worries. Now he has even qualified for the world championship.

#The art of living: sculpture, theatre, music, dance, photography, #Hero's Journey, #DOK.education, #DOK.4teens

JANO & SHIRO, A BROTHERS' JOURNEY (Netherlands 2020, Eefje Blankevoort, Els van Driel). The inseparable brothers Shiro and Jano embark together on an arduous flight from Syria to the Netherlands.

#Middle and Near East, #Hero's Journey, #France and Benelux, #Escape without end, #DOK.education, #DOK.4teens

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