World premiere of this Ukrainian documentary, great title!, took place at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in November 2025. It is a film that has been on its way since 2019, when Maryna Nikolcheva started filming her husband Max in a film that, as says the title, is a love story, with beautiful scenes and a tone that changes as time changes ending up with the war from February 2022. Short glimpses of their life together and separated, Max being fed up making commercials for them to survive, diving into repairing a car, some repairments taking place on the balcony, not pleasing Maryna, phone calls with Max father, an old frail man, conductor he was, as it is being shown in a sequence where Maksym Vasyanovych is invited to attend a screening of his awarded documentary from years back. Maryna is next to him observing his reactions to his own film, one of the fine moments of the documentary. Filming with love.

For me the title goes both ways and this is also a compliment to the editing of the huge material Maryna has had to choose from. She is the one, who is sad and scared of what happens in their country and with him, who suffers from not having a proper director’s job but he is also often the one, who tries to cheer her up making faces to the camera, in one scene wearing a gas mask, while they are to celebrate a new year. He wants to see her happy. That’s how love should be, caring. Yes, the film has several moments of joy and fun, thanks for that and thanks for keeping everyday scenes like Max shaving, Maryna washing her feet – and the cat or is it cats that are there all the time in their bed or behind the computer to be caressed in between Max editing.

Towards the end of the film the two get a job to go and film people, who are taken away from the territories, where the Russians have done their occupational terror. An old woman is being transported from the train saying “why this war, we just had the war against the Germans!”

The film will after its premiere in Tallinn hopefully travel to other festivals. It deserves to meet a wide audience and I am happy to see that the Ukrainian company Moon Man is taking care of its distribution. Good choice!

Ukraine, France, 2025, 82 mins.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

There was an impressive annual report in my email of today: Looking Back at 2025, the Year With DOCA Georgia. The Documentary Association Georgia says in the foreword to the report, which btw is set up in a very inviting manner, easy to overview, factual but also all the time stressing what is important, as it is phrased here:

2025 was a year of immense challenges for Georgia, affecting a wide spectrum of professions and activities, arts and culture among them. Against the backdrop of the absence of public funding for independent filmmaking and increased attacks on freedom of expression, DOCA Georgia continues to support the documentary film scene. Year 2025 was particularly marked by expanded international collaboration and a growing audience for documentary films in the country.

The report outlines the film screenings that have been organized, the international initiatives, the talks and workshops, awards to films and film projects, in other words a lot of energy put into activities, and it looks like all the documentarians are members, so much talent I can say having worked with the SakDoc and CinéDoc for years.

You can see for yourself here: https://doca.ge/so/8cPjfqSJb?languageTag=en&cid=9154f8df-d606-4ab6-9a70-e13350904332

The wonderful photo is from a workshop: Amateur Documentary Filmmaking Workshop in French (!) Mentor: Elene Mikaberidze

The judges of this year’s edition of the Green Competition were: Michalina Czervoonska, Urszula Jabło ska, Robert Jurszo.

The jury awarded the Green Docs Award to Dmytro Hreshka for the movie “Divia”.

“Who will clean up after the war?” Who will disarm hundreds of thousands of landmines and missiles? Who will purify the water and recycle the tons of scrap that war machines turn into? Who will feed abandoned cats and who will restore a place to live for traumatized animals?

All these questions are provoked by the Divia movie. War is an unimaginable tragedy for everyone: people and other animals, plants, land. Dmytro Hreshko consciously refuses words and allows paintings to speak: hectares of burned forests, the fear of animals deafened by bomb explosions. War equates human and animal deaths, the earth treats every body the same way. However, we cannot hope that nature will always be revived. The movie Hreshko does not allow to take your eyes away from the ecocidal, which is part of the war in Ukraine. “

The distinction in the Green Competition was given to the film “Close to the Earth” directed by. Thomas Elshik.

“How to act when the case seems like a defeat?” Why renovate a dead endangered peat field or look for the perpetrators of poisoning wildlife if the sentences always seem too low? Where to get perseverance and hope from?

In the movie “Close to the Earth” the meaning seems to come from the action itself, the opportunity to participate in the richness of the tangles of earthly life, which in an age of flash and often irreversible change, seems more valuable than ever. Tomas Elsik allows us to look at plants or birds from a distance usually inaccessible to us, building intimacy between the viewer and many film characters. Human and inhuman threads intertwine, jumping between the scales of time and space. “

Academic Cinema Association Awards

Jury in the team: Michał Konarski, Michał Surówka and Maja Gomulska awarded the film “Silver” directed by. Natalie Koniarz

“For the extraordinary combination of form and substance. Photos and camera work deserve attention and appreciation, showing how moving silence can be. The use of a wide frame in a documentary creates a sense of claustrophobic danger, in which various forms of goosebumps combine with human greed. However, breaking the editing key and the introduction of elements of magical realism does not undermine its documentation, but only complements the other elements of the film, so they form a well-thought and cohesive whole.”

“Silver” also got a Special Mention in the New Polish Films section, where the winner was “Child of Dust”. The jury consisting of Michał Merczy Jski, Paulina Reiter and Anna Wydra awarded the Grand Prize to the movie “Child of Dust” by Weronika Mliczewska. Motivations:

“We give the main prize to the movie, about which we can say with full responsibility, is an excellent document.

It is an emotionally moving, multidimensional, intellectually ambitious, sharp social criticism, at the same time intimate and taking on public, private and political issues, talking about a historical issue but also extremely relevant.

It’s a movie about how long the teddy bears are — it touches several generations every time. It’s a story about a moving absence of a father, about racial discrimination, and about a system that, although it seems to try to save a man, abandons him back to fate and separates him from his family again. It’s a visually beautiful image, with tenderness following the hero’s long and painful journey to regain his identity, sense of dignity and peace of mind. Tears of sadness and tears of joy of Mr. Sang, the extraordinary hero of the movie “Dust Child” directed by Weronika Mliczewska, will stay with us forever. „

Natalia Koniarz’s film “Silver”:

“For a staggering image of the profit that, unfortunately, we are all beneficiaries from, using electronics or using artificial intelligence.” “Silver” represents the fate of families — mothers, fathers and children — who are living in extreme poverty and working at risk in a Bolivian silver mine.

We observe environmental degradation and lack of social solidarity. An image that raises objections and questions as to how the world is still like this? Photos in the mountains are terrifying. We want to reward not only the weight of the topic and its take, but also the courage of the team. ”

This year, 12 outstanding documentaries were competing for the DOCS Award. The judges of the Main Competition were: Emi Buchwald, Niklas Engstrøm, Andrej Kuciła, Tue Steen Müller and Laura van Halsema.

“The jury of the Main Competition was impressed by the outstanding selection of films that took us to very different realities, viewed from multiple perspectives and told using a variety of visual languages.” First of all, we would like to thank all filmmakers and festivals for collecting their works and giving us the opportunity to watch and discuss together.

And while we agreed that there is something strange about comparing and classifying documentaries that represent a world in crisis on so many levels, we were unanimous in deciding which film to award the Best of Them.

“This film invites the viewer to a world rarely seen from the inside. With precision, care and without judgment, it shows the human faces of ideology and regime not usually associated with sensitivity or ambiguity. This is a movie that carefully composes each frame, and tells both what is in front of our eyes and what is left out. We have been transported to an unknown, sinister world in a subtle and moving way. The movie maker is completely in control of his material and shows outstanding cinematic talent in every frame and scene.”

The award for the best film in the Main Competition goes to the movie “Kabul. Warrior’s Prayer by Aboozar Amini

En herlig lille bog! Jeg fik den i hånden forleden i Warszawa. Den lå til mig på hotel Metropol, som ligger lige overfor Kulturpaladset – den omstridte gave til Polen fra Sovjetunionen efter krigen. Den vender jeg tilbage til. Jacob Dammas og Józefina Jarmuzewska står bag den fine udgivelse, små 100 sider og som de skriver på omslaget “rigt illustreret”. Jørgen Leth og Polen, reportager, digte, essays. Det var min godnatlæsning under opholdet i den store by, hvor jeg var jurymedlem i festivalen WatchDocs.

Jeg nød at læse reportagerne fra Jørgens besøg i Warszawa og Krakow. Jeg vidste jo godt, hvor godt han skrev, men de seks artikler, som bogen bringer, sprudler af ungdommelig veloplagthed. De stammer fra 1958-1962 (Jørgen er fra 1937) blev bragt i Demokraten og Aktuelt og fokus er på jazz og jazzmusikere, med vidunderlige observationer af steder over- og undergrund. Lad mig lige komme tilbage til Paladset, som han skriver om sådan:

“På Warszawas største plads står Kulturpaladset og skraber bunden af himlen. Det er imponerende. Men hvis De tror, det er smukt, tager De fejl, og hvis De tror polakkerne elsker det palads, tager De endnu mere fejl… De hader det.” (Polske Notater, side 25). I dag er det vist kun Weekendavisen, som tiltaler sine læsere i De-form.

… tænkte på Jørgens ord hver dag, når vi så film i én af biograferne i omtalte bygning eller besøgte dens hyggelige festivalrestaurant, som selvfølgelig kunne byde på den vodka, som Jørgen kom til at elske på sine besøg. Her er en tekst, et fragment, bliver det kaldt, fra “Det uperfekte Menneske” (2007):

“Jeg husker aftner og nætter i studenterhuset ved foden af det hæslige kulturpalads i sovjetstil, hvor vi turede rundt på mærkelige, øde barer som scener fra en usædvanlig desperat polsk film, vodkaflasker og glas, som hele tiden blev fyldt op. Vodka har den særlige kvalitet, når den drikkes på den måde, at den flytter ens bevidsthed op i en slags hallucineret tilstand. Alting er syner.” (Fragmenter, side 64).

Jamen, jeg kan jo ikke blive ved med at citere fra bogen, men alligevel… læs lige med her fra artiklen “Polske Notater”:

“Polen. Vi måtte være indenfor nu. Er der noget, der hedder Ingenmandsland i fredstid, så måtte det se sådan ud. Se ud? Eller føles sådan. Vi passerede et par trætårne, der kunne se ud som brandposter. De var bemandede. Ellers skove, marker og træklynger. Og færre trætårne. Så sagtnede toget farten. Stoppede helt. Vi fik travlt med at kigge ud…”. JørgenLeth, Journalist og Dokumentarist, 23 år. Fornemt!

Og der er digte og jazzen fylder, specielt legendariske Krzysztof Komeda, som er Jørgens helt, som han skriver et digt om og til, får inviteret til Danmark, får introduceret til Henning Carlsen, hvis film Komeda laver musik til og Bronislaw Malinowski, antropologen som Jørgen ofte har henvist til som en inspirationskilde, specielt til filmen “Notater om Kærlighed”.

Mit møde med Jørgen går 50 år tilbage. I Statens Filmcentral, hvor han blev ansat som programredaktør og jeg som pressekonsulent. Senere, som konsulent og medlem af programredaktionen, var jeg med til at støtte flere af hans film, bl.a. “66 Scener fra Amerika”, som han lavede sammen med Ole John. På WatchDocs blev han æret posthumt med visning af “Det perfekte menneske”, “Livet i Danmark” og “Aarhus” (Photo). Jeg var der sammen med 50-60 mennesker, polske undertekster og en grundig introduktion på polsk, som jeg så ikke forstod.

Jacob Dammas skrev til mig, at bogen kan købes i:

Thiemers Magasin i Tullinsgade 24, København V, til 125 kr.

– alternativt skriv en email til mail@jdmedia.dk om at få den sendt med posten.

Og de to redaktører har også udgivet bogen på polsk. Imponerende. Køb den!

A program celebrating 25 years of the International Visegrad Fund

Over the past quarter-century, the Visegrad region has become one of the most dynamic spaces for documentary cinema in Europe. Its filmmakers have continually redefined how we understand reality on screen, blending formal innovation with political urgency, intimate observation with sweeping historical reflection.

For 25 years, the International Visegrad Fund has backed a wide range of events that have played a crucial role in developing documentary filmmaking in the region, contributing to its current international standing. On the occasion of the Fund’s anniversary, DAFilms and Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival join forces to present a curated journey through 25 years of Visegrad filmmaking: one film for every year of the Fund’s existence.

This selection traces the evolving concerns, aesthetics, and identities of Central Europe from 2000 to 2024. It begins with Karel Vachek’s grand, genre-defying fresco, moves through formally bold experiments from Hungary and Slovakia, and includes landmark portraits of personal and political transformation from Poland and the Czech Republic. Along the way, the program highlights recurring themes that have shaped the region: the struggle for democratic values, the resilience of communities in transition, the presence of borders both visible and invisible, and the intimate dramas unfolding within everyday life.

Many of these films have become canon within European documentary cinema: from the social satire of Czech Dream to the exquisite observational works of Helena Třeštíková and Paweł Łoziński, from the human rights testimonies of A Woman Captured to the radical cinematic language of FREM. Others are rediscoveries: restless, daring, and deeply reflective works that deserve renewed attention.

Twenty-five years, twenty-five films — a cinematic portrait of a region continually reinventing itself.

Click here and you will see the 25 titles: https://dafilms.com/program/1746-visegrad-visions-25-years-25-films#:~:text=Twitter-,Visegrad,itself

Photo: Peter Kerekes “66 Seasons” is of course one of the 25 films, love that film!

International Jury Decision:

The DVB Peacock Film Festival is honored to announce the official results as decided by the International Jury, composed of distinguished film professionals from across the region and the world:

·         Brenda Danker, Co-founder, Freedom Film Network

·         Chalida Uabumrungjit, Co-founder & Festival Director, Thai Short Film & Video Festival

·         Isabel Arrate Fernandez, Artistic Director, IDFA

·         Rada Šešić, Film curator and director; Head of Documentary Competition, Sarajevo Film Festival

·         Tue Steen Müller, Documentary consultant and film educator

After careful consideration of all films in competition, the International Jury presents the following awards:

Special Mention – DCDC Category:  Melody of Hope

Directed by: Haki

Jury Statement: 

In Melody of Hope, we follow refugee children who pursue their dream of becoming musicians at the secluded Htel Phoe Music School—using music as their weapon for freedom under the constant threat of airstrikes. This visit to a music school hidden deep in the forest reveals both vulnerability and astonishing resilience. A teacher instructs the children, gently reminding them of what could happen if they are discovered. The film is filled with joy, infused with resistance songs, and charged with the quiet bravery of those who create beauty in the face of terror. 

For this moving portrayal, the jury awards a SPECIAL MENTION to Melody of Hope.

Special Mention – CJ Category: Star

Directed by: Ugly Crow

Jury Statement:

In Star, we witness lecturer Daw Radi Ong, who joins the Civil Disobedience Movement. The film closely follows her life in Kalay, including the emotionally complex story of her student who has joined the revolution. Citizen journalists are skillfully choosing urgent topics and, with remarkable access, telling stories that matter. Here, the filmmaker offers an engaging visual narrative that reveals a protagonist who openly shares her doubts, weaknesses, and fragility, yet whose actions radiate deep love and care for others. The delicate approach to character results in an in-depth, rounded portrayal that transcends its context to become a universal human story of resistance.

The jury is pleased to award a SPECIAL MENTION to Star by Ugly Crow.

⭐ BEST FILM – International Jury Award ⭐  Fragment of Witness

Directed by: Kha Baung

Jury Statement:

In Fragment of Witness, a filmmaker walks through a devastated landscape after the eartquake, filming remnants of homes and searching for a place that no longer exists. This poetic journey expresses a profound longing for a better world that cannot be found today. The film impressed the jury with its cinematic precision—from a carefully crafted visual approach to effective sound design and a deeply relevant thematic core. It is a contemplative reflection on destruction, displacement, and the fragile traces of memory left behind. Through precise camerawork and a powerful voice-over text, the film becomes an essayistic meditation on what it means to document ruins only days after an earthquake.

For its artistic strength, emotional depth, and conceptual clarity, the BEST FILM award goes to Fragment of Witness by Kha Baung.

Congratulations to all filmmakers!

Your courage, creativity, and commitment to truth-telling illuminate stories the world needs to hear.

You are officially invited! Join us for the DVB Peacock Film Festival 2025 at Chiang Mai University (Dec 8-10). Experience a curated selection of powerful films from Myanmar, sharing stories of hope and resistance. This is how the organizers present a festival that starts tomorrow in Thailand. DVB stands for Democratic Voice of Burma.

I was – look at the photo – one of the jurors to make decisions that will be announced at the end of the festival, a jury put together by Igor Blazevic from Prague Civil Society Organisation.

It was a true pleasure to watch 10 short films and 8 journalistic shorts – and to have contact with Chan from the organisation. I asked how they put a festival like this together. I am quoting from her mail to me:

“Thank you so much for your message! I’m really glad to hear you’re finding the project interesting, even though I know the locations and abbreviations of the revolutionaries and opposition groups can sometimes be a lot to take in…

About your question, “our Sydney friends” refers to members of the Burmese diaspora living in Sydney. The CJ Shorts Project didn’t have any donors this year. Last year, Internews was able to secure a grant from FilmAid, but this year Internews itself had to shut down after USAID funding was cut. I tried to find support from international screening, but unfortunately we weren’t able to raise enough.

DVB still has the human resources to help citizen journalists, but no money to support them for production. That’s why the some Burmese community in Sydney organized screenings and collected donations (5000 AUD) to support the project. I credited them as “brothers and sisters in Sydney” — the way they refer to themselves. 

We supported the Citizen Journalist 800 USD each production and DVB provided the rest of the money. We credit CJs as director and camera. Producers, trainers and mentors are from DVB and we handle the post production. If you have any questions please let me know.”

Given this information I can only raise the flag for the work being done for a festival I did not know about in beforehand. Let me end with these words from Igor Blazevic:

Last year I participated in the DVB Peacock Film Festival as an International Jury member, but only remotely, online. I am very glad that this year I will be able to attend the festival in person and fully—to meet inspiring, talented, brave, and dedicated filmmakers.

I am also very much looking forward to experiencing once again those wonderful moments when you sit in a venue filled with an audience, watching a film you already know because you reviewed it while helping the International Jury, and focusing on how the audience reacts emotionally.

It will be lovely to meet many Burmese, expat, and Thai friends at the festival. I’m sure many of you will be there.

Since the earliest days of humankind—sitting in the dark around the firelight, telling and listening to stories of hardship, catastrophe, loss, pain, struggle, survival, promise, and hope—storytelling has been a way for traumatized communities to heal their wounded souls.