The 3rd edition DOC SCREENINGS INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

"I am nobody and his body would not have been given to me" "I became a disgrace to the family" "I was afraid to burn in hell" These are the phrases of the three heroes of the documentary project “Equality illusion”, in which Ukrainian women and men, LGBTQ+ military, tell their painful stories of daily struggle for basic human rights. The heroes of the film work, volunteer, and serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, risking their lives every day like everyone else, and have less rights and legal protection.

The film tells the story of destruction of all the obsessive propaganda narratives about "one nation" and "we are brothers" in the minds of Ukrainians. At the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when the terrorist country was defeated in the Sumy region and retreated, the Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up a bridge near the village of Lukashivka. Several Ukrainian villages were trapped in a "grey zone" - without food, medicine, coal and under constant Russian shelling. Now their lives depend on the support of the village chief, Oleksandr, and a local accountant, Inna.

Former marines with the callsigns "Yug" and "Sturm" began to gather comrades, friends and volunteers on the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: in a few days there were more than a hundred fighters. The future "Assault" battalion was named after the commander's callsign. Most of the fighters had military experience in the past: veterans and participants of special military and anti-terrorist operations (ATO). The volunteer battalion defended Kyiv in one of its districts. "Assault" is the story of how a volunteer unit grew into a real battalion of marines and received an official number of a military unit. Although there are no special units in Territorial Defense Forces (TRO), unofficially "Sturm" is considered to be exactly one of them: most of its fighters were professional special operations militaries in the past.

A town that stands out with its architecture, archeology, geographical attraction, biological diversity, culture of democracy and human profile… As they say, “Brotherly, Freely, Yeşilce…” A journey from the history of Yeşilce, where enlightenment and respect for the ecosystem have turned into a culture of life, from the early years of the Republic to the expectations. . From ancient inscriptions to royal tombs, from castles to natural formations, a geography surrounded by many historical and natural beauties is trying to stand up with the Village-City Project. A layered narrative ranging from district democracy conventions to being declared a tourism zone, from the closure of institutions such as municipalities, schools, dormitories, health centers, and post offices to a new rural development and ecological tourism move… While the documentary Tone of the Green deals with Yeşilce and Yeşilyurt, located in the Mesudiye district, in historical and sociological contexts and with a hopeful future expectation, it approaches the subject of rural development through ecological tourism in Turkey through a miniature town ready with its nature, cultural heritage and resources and focuses on the background. He evaluates the transformations Turkey has gone through.

Myriam Ackermann Sommer takes us inside French Jewish life, one of the largest, and most closed Jewish societies in the world. She is training to become France’s first Orthodox female rabbi. She and her husband are both building a modern Orthodox community in Paris, but they are going up against the rabbis of the Consistoire, an organization set up Napoleon, the governing body of Jewish life in France, and they don't want women rabbis.

In a small rural school, the finding of some old certificate of schooling not given yet to their owners, was the motivation to investigate how education was fifty years ago, and compare it to current schooling. Old and new students, as well as significant experts in the educational area give their testimony about that matter during the documentary.

This documentary feature film shows, with images and sounds of the time, the dramatic story of Colonel Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó, beginning with his departure from the Dominican Republic in 1966. A military attaché at the Dominican Embassy in London, England, he travels clandestinely to Cuba , where he trains in guerrilla warfare for five years, until finally leading, in February 1973, the guerrilla landing at Playa Caracoles, where his life comes to a tragic end.

"How can a Roma be at war? He was happy to defend his country" In March 2022, Arsen volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A Jew, a Syrian, and Arsen, a Roma by birth, fought together under the Ukrainian flag. Arsen, who professes to be a Muslim, praised namaz between battles on the front line. He was a stormtrooper, and every time he went into battle, he went to death. It was in such a storming battle near Kherson he was blown up by a mine, severely injured, and then spent a month in a coma, had his fingers amputated, and lost his hearing. “When I was at war, I was needed. Now, no one needs me." Numerous medical commissions, ​​red tape, and weeks of waiting in lines at hospitals have devastated Arsen. Watch the documentary “The war has changed me this way” to find out what the soldierhad to go through at the war and how he continues to fight invisible but no less painful traumas being in relatively safe cities of the rear, next to civilians.

Since the beginning of the war cemeteries in Ukraine have been refilled by graves with plates “An unknown defender of Ukraine is buried here”. The bodies of soldiers, whose names are searched by volunteers of the “Evacuation 200” project, lie here. The volunteers were taking bodies after the tragedy in Ilovaisk without any safety guarantees – that was the first challenge for their teams. And they keep doing it after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia. When the personality of a soldier is known, his body is carried to relatives, they can say a farewell and put some personal stuff to his grave. For volunteers it is important to find and determine all the dead soldiers, despite the difficulties. This documentary by Dmytro Glukhenkyi tells about the “Evacuation 200”, its mission and people who perform it.

At the outbreak of war, two Ukrainian women find themselves in Europe. Tetiana, 45, lives in Poznan and works in a spaghetti shop while learning the language. Meanwhile, 29-year-old Alyona is settling down in Weidenberg, forcing herself to learn German to distract herself. Her husband is at war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian women do not know each other, but they are bound by their status as IDPs. After 1,5 years of waiting, it's time to make a choice - to stay abroad or to return to Ukraine, where the war is ongoing. Each woman will make her own choice.

New Documentary film by writer and director Marina Hitt, tells the quintessential American dream story of a Soviet Immigrant, who arrived in the United States in the late 70’s, with a newborn son and $70 in his pocket. Since then, thanks to the support of his wife, he’s become a multimillionaire earning his wealth by creating a “ glass empire”, catering to Manhattan’s skyscrapers.

A feature documentary that follows quadruple amputee Alex Lewis as he sets out to prove to himself, his son and the rest of the world that anything is possible by climbing Ethiopia’s highest mountain using the world’s first, off-road, solar-powered, mobility, hand cycle.

The film tells about authentic Ukrainian folklore. The main character is 32 y.o. Oleksiy Zayets. 10 years ago, still being a student, he began his work as the culture center head at the Liudynivka village, Kyiv region. He dreamt to develop and promote Ukrainian folklore. Despite devastations in the village, Oleksiy, professional ethnographer, founded 2 song ensembles: Barvinok and Snivnytsia. The ensembles consist mostly of senior women: the oldest is 90 y.o., the youngest one is 60+, as people of this age are the main bearers and keepers of ancient songs. With his own hands, Oleksiy sewed national clothes for the ensembles’ members. He also started to collect and record lyrics of ancient folk songs, gather information on how ancient Ukrainians performed their different rites. He intended to promote Ukrainian songs and traditions in Ukraine and other countries. Beside it, for several times Oleksiy brought the ensembles to folk festivals in Lithuania and Belarus. They toured over the whole Ukraine. But the local authorities, who have always supported youth ensembles, don’t see the potential of older performers. They don’t want to pay attention to the elderly women and their talents. Nowadays, Oleksiy faces a difficult choice: leave it and forever forget the Ukrainian ancient folk singing history, or keep fighting for rebirth of the authentic culture.

In 2014, the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation in Kazan staged a musical play "Generation of Mowgli". The purpose of which was announced to raise funds to help children with brain cancer. Since then, the performance has been staged in different cities of Russia, and in 2020 it was decided to stage it in Moscow. For this, a new troupe of 150 young people was assembled, but the CoVid-19 pandemic interfered with these plans. What I had to face and how I managed to cope with this tells this film.

Sixty-five years after the Allied invasion of Southern France, the director's mother, Cecily Barker Finley, tries to recall her involvement as a social worker aboard a WWII Red Cross ship called the Château Thierry. These memories are recorded in letters and phone calls with her daughter who is living on the coast of France where the invasion occurred. After her mother dies, the daughter discovers a trunk buried under old rugs in the back of the family garage. Unopened since the 1940s, the trunk is filled with her mother's Red Cross memorabilia. By carefully documenting the trunk's contents, missing pieces of the invasion story begin to come into focus. Yet, despite a mountain of facts and photographs, mysteries persist about family, war, and what it means to be a hero.

A geologist passionate about his land and the nature of his region, together with a tourism specialist, develop a Geopark project that could change the lives of the impoverished inhabitants of Seridó with a more promising and sustainable future. After more than ten years, UNESCO declares Seridó as a new World Geopark.

While the chances of immortality may be very thin, hundreds of people, aged 2 to 101, from around the world, have already committed their bodies or brains to cryonics, over the past 50 years. Frozen in liquid nitrogen, they put their trust, lives and fortunes into the promise of being revived one day by advanced future medicine. This documentary making the family portrait of Elaine who decided to wake up in the futur.

Anna... She doesn't know if that's her real name. Because apart from the vague memory of the sound of this name, she only associates one thing with her early childhood: horrible fear. Of doctors, of injections and the bitter-sweet taste of a piece of sugar on liberation day. Anna Strishkowa is a toddler when she stands on the ramp of Auschwitz on 4 December 1943. She neither knows the names of her parents nor where she was born. For Luigi Toscano, Anna Strishkowa is the first Auschwitz survivor he portrays for the exhibition of his project "Against Forgetting" in Kyiv. He has photographed more than 500 other survivors since then, but Anna's fate never lets him go. Luigi wants to help Anna decipher her identity. But shortly before filming begins, Putin invades Ukraine. The bombs falling on Kiev catapult Anna back to the horror of her childhood. Luigi offers to bring her from Kyiv to Mannheim. But Anna refuses. Hitler robbed her of her identity, and she doesn't want to let Putin take her home away from her. There is confirmation of Anna's prisoner tattoo, that she was registered in Auschwitz. But further research came to nothing. The adoptive father had the tattoo removed shortly before Anna started school. To protect her, Anna believes. A Soviet propaganda film showing Anna shortly after liberation raises doubts about the previously assumed prisoner number. Against all expectations, Luigi discovers the decisive clue in a yellowed medical file in the Auschwitz archive. The new clues point to relatives who are still alive. They lead from Auschwitz to Belarus, from the Potulice-Lebrechtsdorf camp to Kyiv and Drohobytsch, all the way to Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia. Anna's search links the darkest chapter of the twentieth century with our own history: How much do we need to understand the past in order to understand our present?

Yunus Topal, who spent his childhood with Jules Verne's books, embarks on a difficult journey to make his dream journey to the ice world.

This Irish language feature documentary examines the quicksilver nature of the Belfast harpist, experimental composer and sound engineer Úna Monaghan and her innovative and genre-traversing work in music and art. Úna has spent a lifetime steering the course between science and art, examining the often taboo intersections between Irish traditional music, experimental music, improvisation and interactive technologies. Influenced by the work of John Cage, Úna has made the form her own, a lack of artistic inhibitions pervading her work and allowing her to push beyond boundaries and achieve new innovation combining artistic forms.Undertaking one of her most ambitious projects to date – her latest album, Aonaracht, a six part suite for six solo musicians – Úna must now convince other top traditional musicians of the merits of the art form she is pioneering, to record an album of solo performances with electronics - all while embarking on another new project: motherhood The multiple meanings of Aonaracht (singularity, solitude), are layered throughout the documentary: in the solo pieces Úna composes for her artists; in the laser-focus she brings to her compositions; in the post-Covid world during which all of us experienced some new form of solitude and isolation. But they are contrasted with the collaborative nature of the album recordings and of Úna’s artistic partnership with sculptor Nóirín Nic Alastair, who happens to be her mother. And as Úna prepares to welcome her first child into the world, the question arises – can motherhood accommodate her artistic ambition? Featuring contributions from some of the finest traditional musicians in Ireland, including Pauline Scanlon, Paddy Glackin, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Jack Talty, Saileog Ní Cheannabháin and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn, Aonaracht examines the process of making an album from conception to completion, through the challenges, self-doubt and life changes along the way, seeking to find out what lies at the heart of artistic drive. Aonaracht offers a no holds barred opportunity to see one of Ireland’s most exciting talents at work, and to examine the conflict between parenthood and artistic expression.

"I Was There" is a trilogy of experimental documentary films that explores the problem of radiation, our society's fading collective memory of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the unresolved debate between ethics and science. These series concern the immediate effects of weaponized nuclear technology, as invisible poison, on the human body. Meditating on the survivor's memories, "I Was There" (Part I) traces the experience of a physician for the past 70 years, who recounted his day as a rare witness when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. The poignant and thought-provoking evidence of the secret war tactics reveals the human value during times of war in conflicts. Saving American lives is the commonly known and acceptable narrative of why the United States government dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. However, this narrative contradicts the finding in personal and petitions letters, and arsenal photography housed at the Truman Presidential Museum. The evidence uncovers a rather surprising reason for testing the atomic bomb on humans – competing for war power against Russia and securing the US dominant role in global politics. For information about the series "I Was There", please visit https://chijangyin.art

Set in the 21st century, the film revisits the golden era of radio in India, when it was the dominant, popular, and only source of entertainment, news, and knowledge. Being a medium that is heard across national borders, the radio has been instrumental in expanding horizons and enriching the lives of generations. Besides giving companionship to individuals, the radio brought families together and inspired people to make life choices. We meet individuals from diverse backgrounds. A man who broadcasted the historic Apollo 11 moon landing as an announcer for Voice of America, a woman who found her calling in her formative years and later a life partner through radio, an octogenarian's unwavering determination to get his treasured valve radio set back to life, a person who preserves memories of people by restoring their radios and curating them in his museum, a woman from a conservative family who gets liberated by her passion for HAM radio and later goes on to win the prestigious Presidential Award, and several others who have indelible fond memories of the radio from their childhood and youth. Radio, though considered obsolete now and from a bygone era, continues to enthrall people with its evolving nature and the sentiments associated with it.

Between the desire for freedom and family responsibility. Between political struggle and the picturesque Georgian landscape. Between the commitment to human rights and the repression of authoritarian powers. A portrait of the 21-year-old activist Luka.

Valentine is a woman of 46 years old. She works at an animal shelter. Every day Valentine cleans, feeds, gives water and takes care of her pets like her children, who constantly surround her and love her. One day, during the day's chores, Valentina learns that trouble has happened to one of her sons, and she goes out in search of him.

"Axe, Salvador!" was born from the author's passion for Brazil and in particular for the city of Salvador De Bahia

When a young Turkish immigrant arrives in San Francisco, she finds herself inside an evergrowing Balkan music scene and sets on a quest to explore how Bay Area has become such a hotbed for Balkan music, how it influenced the local music scene and how music travels across borders.

Shin Mi-sik, a documentary photographer who loves Madagascar. He built four libraries for children in Africa. Three are in Madagascar and one is in Ethiopia. In order to protect children's innocence and artistry, this time we want to convey music to children. With 50 ukuleles supported by a Korean cultural foundation, he leaves for Madagascar with composer Taehwa Jang and 14 volunteers. After an 18-hour flight, the Little Prince arrives in Madagascar, an island with beautiful baobab trees. Although they are poor, they live with a positive outlook on life. A touching meeting takes place between the children waiting for the ukulele and the teachers and volunteers who created the songs for the children to play. The children, who find everything amazing, are absorbed in ukulele lessons and choir practice despite the hot weather. The beautiful performance and singing of a 50-member ukulele troupe and a 100-member choir resonate movingly at Trinity School, the beach, and Baobab Street in Morondava, Madagascar.

Falsely objective thinking has imposed the idea that certain sexual, gender or family behaviours are "unnatural". Fortunately, this idea is finally being shaken up, thanks to new scientific publications, which demonstrate its absurdity and make previous assertions seem plausible. Nature is far more queer than we are! From the pioneering work on queer animals by biologist Joan Roughgarden, to the interrogations of philosopher Vinciane Despret, via the intimate portraits of Camille Pier and Gwenn Seemel, artists who have seized upon Joan's work and queer nature to emancipate themselves and to create, while reflecting on diversity with biologist Thierry Lodé and ethologist Fleur Daugey: the film interweaves words, thoughts and faces in an attempt to explode the idea of a sexual or gender norm. In parallel, through a poetic animation that explores certain animal behaviours, we question the human being who, by speaking in the place of animals, is above all telling himself. The nature described today is incredibly diverse and varied, and hardly fits human labels. There are thousands of cases of homosexual birds, transsexual fish, non-binary animals, polyamorous families... So what has happened? Has our view changed? Why and how? Is the subjectivity of the scientist a factor to be taken into account? Will it be possible to free ourselves from our shackles, now that we know that they are cultural constructions and not natural "truths"?

Pachamama is a documentary short film that shows the connection of the native peoples of the Andes in South America with nature, their respect and gratitude to mother earth. An audiovisual piece that transports us to a land that maintains its traditions, where the role of women has been key to the preservation of the culture of these peoples. A production that makes an analogy with the feminine, staging the Aymara weavers from the town of Colchane in Chile, in a territory full of contrasts and colors like the incredible red lagoon, making it a visual delight.

As every day, Bruno, Martín and Sergio travel through the mountains that surround a small village in the Aragonese Pyrenees. Sunny, shady, cold or hot, these shepherds never stop walking the trails with their cattle. A trade, a way of life and a way of dealing with it that is far from the expectations of young people today. A reflection on the rural world, depopulation and loneliness.

The film describes about group of people from Kazakhstan, who arranged the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Syria. Affection of earthquake and what they faced during this journey accross the country devastated by the war and economical crisis

I’ve been a pianist since I was 5. I became a board-certified neurologist specializing in epilepsy. I have a disability caused by a muscle disease that makes me weaker over time. I started needing a wheelchair in medical school. My shoulders are so weak now that I can no longer lift my arms to play naturally. Thus, I stopped playing for several years. I was very sad that I could no longer play and felt I lost a part of my identity. I designed the harness suspending my arms and returned to playing again.

The story of the creation of the Ukrainian IT industry, which rose from the ruins of the Cold War to become part of the global future and a guarantee of Ukraine's cyber security in wartime.

Gonzalo wants to be a film director, he dreams of directing comedies. In november 2006 his life stopped in a traffic accident that caused him a spinal cord injury. A few days after he was bedridden, he borrowed a video camera and as self-therapy began to film everything that happened to him, beginning his life 0.5 meters above the ground. When the state terminates his rehabilitation, he returns to his hometown. He has two options: stay put or continue his life in an eternal traveling. In order not to be alone, he decides to practice wheelchair basketball at the famous club AMFIV, and his story takes a Copernican turn. Discover a new universe for him in this professional sport, a world that has not yet been filmed from the inside.

"Mayalou" follows the lives of two elderly sisters, Madhu and Maya, who reunite after years of separation due to education and marriage. It’s a touching narrative of how these sisters, despite their contrasting personalities, have learned to embrace each other while navigating the challenges of old age, visibly growing more fragile. Amidst their occasional quarrels—sometimes amusing yet tinged with the melancholy realization of life's hurdles—they find energy in sharing and caring about each other's lives. Since their husbands passed away, they've become each other's main companions. Madhu looks back on her past to understand her life and what's ahead, while Maya stays devoted to her community and beliefs. Their life together is tricky because they have different ways of seeing things, living under the same roof poses its challenges, yet they find a way to provide each other with solace, becoming a source of comfort while facing the struggles of getting older. Their life is a mix of difficulty and relief, a complex yet necessary bond. In this narrative of intertwining lives, "Mayalou" explores the inherent irony and the bittersweet essence of their relationship—a bond both demanding and essential in their journey through the latter part of life.

“FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED” is an inspirational feature-length film that explores the life-changing journey of high school students engaged in the Winners Circle Project. Throughout the course of a year, these students embark on an extraordinary endeavor: building a real race car from scratch. As the documentary unfolds, their unwavering spirit shines amidst adversity, including the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. From overcoming obstacles to achieving success, the film celebrates their journey of personal growth and highlights the transformative power of education, opportunity, and resilience.

Dayna Altman let's the world into her recovery process and how she found baking to be her best conversation starter. Now she has started a movement to live authentically, speak openly and bake bravely and influenced and inspired many lives by doing so.

Sammy has just signed as a professional player in an esports structure in Belgium. Like an athlete, he earns his living by participating in video game competitions. Through him, we discover a surprising universe, where technical gestures must be as mastered as the media image. To the rhythm of an eventful season, made up of joys and disappointments, Sammy confides in us his vision of his world while raising a terrible question: what are we ready to sacrifice to live from our passion?