Nishtha Jain, director

I cherish my long relationship with DOK.fest München, one of my favourite film festivals in Europe. I‘ve had the honour of screening six films at the festival. GULABI GANG (2012) was the opening film of their 2013 edition. When they invited THE GOLDEN THREAD (2022) for their 2023 edition, I was returning to the festival after a long gap. It felt like I had come back home. The Munich audience was the same – as open and engaged as ever. And, of course, I did not miss the chance to visit the beer gardens. Familiarity with the streets in the city centre, where the festival was earlier located, made me feel nostalgic. Memories started guiding the way. After all, I had spent time in these streets before we used Google Maps. Over the years, I developed great fondness and respect for Herman Barth, former festival director, former manager and current programmer Ulla Wessler, and current director Daniel Sponsel. I also became friends with many young Germans, some volunteers at the festival and some audience members. I grew a special friendship with a young German girl: Franzi, an India lover. She began visiting me in Mumbai and brought along her German friends. I loved hosting them. Later, she joined the Munich film school, married a young Indian artist-filmmaker, and both of them are now filmmakers based in Munich. This is what films do best – connect people and cultures. My best wishes to DOK.fest München for their 40th anniversary and their continued success and commitment to great documentary cinema.