Millennium Docs Against Gravity is of age! The cinema part of the 18th edition of the festival, which became the largest Polish film event last year, will take place from 3rd to 12th September! As always, there will not only be unforgeable screenings but also unique meetings with filmmakers and film characters as well as debates on various topics presented in the films. This is a perfect occasion to see the latest achievements of the highest quality documentary film from all over the world premièring in Poland!
This year’s festival’s motto is “The World is Waking Up”. We all hope that things will start coming back to normal and the pandemic, which completely changed our everyday life, will be defeated. We want the festival to bring hope that the social solidarity which we are witnessing now could be here to stay. Many films in the programme of the 18th Millennium Docs Against Gravity Many concern activism and call for acting for a better, equal and green world.
This year, we are giving a lot of attention to films which tell stories of people who act for the environment, human rights and working conditions. They protest against the destruction of the planet, like Greta Thunberg, the protagonist of the festival opening film “I Am Greta” (dir. Nathan Grossman) or try to find the source of social inequality, by investigating the operation of today’s giant corporations, like the makers of the film “The New Corporation” (dir. Jennifer Abott, Joel Bakan), the sequel of our festival’s hit – “Corporation” from 2003. The world of young activists is shown in the film “Dear Future Children” (dir. Franz Böhm) which is a meeting with kids from different parts of the world who fight for issues which are crucial to them. In the film “Courage” (dir. Aliaksei Paluyan) we follow a group of Byelorussian theatre artists who resist Lukashenko’s regime after the election.
During the 18th edition of the festival we are introducing several new sections. DIY Protest consists of films which show that all you have to do is take the first step to do something good for the society and the planet. Crime Mysteries @MDAG - films in which pursuing the truth is full of adventures, just as in a proper thriller! Among them, there is this year’s Oscar nominee “The Mole Agent” (dir. Maite Alberti). The section Life in the Time of Pandemic consists of films by young, Polish filmmakers. These titles prove that lockdown increases creativity. “Regular” people grab cameras – even the ones in their smartphones – because they want to document this peculiar reality. In this section, the film “Polish Self-Portrait” (by Maciej Białoruski, Jakub Drobczyński, Jakub Rados) deserves special attention. It shows the entire cross section of our society which had to face the virus of loneliness during the isolation. The films in the section The Different Faces of Latin America will take the audience on a distant journey. These are projects from the countries which are being talked about a lot (Chile or Venezuela) as well as the less frequently visited places like Paraguay. A portrait of a sunny continent with a complicated past and an equally complicated present emerges.
The festival programme also abounds in films by outstanding filmmakers or the hits of the largest festivals. Gianfranco Rosi returns with his “Notturno”, a striking image of the war-torn areas in the Middle East. Vitaly Mansky’s “Gorbachev. Heaven” is a visit to
Mikhail Gorbachev’s residence in order to discuss the transformations in Russia since the collapse of USSR as well as the rejection and loneliness which the last leader of the Soviet Union experiences today. At the festival, we will also see the Sundance award winning film “Flee” (dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen) which is compared to the cult “Waltz with Bashir”. It is an animated portrait of a young man two flees Afghanistan with his family. They go to Scandinavia through Russia and on the way he protagonist struggles with the burden of being a refugee as well as the lack of acceptance for homosexuality in by his culture.
The best début will be awarded at the festival again and the Polish Competition will be held too. Among the fourteen films which will compete for the Best Polish Film title there are production by famous directors – Rafael Lewandowski’s “Herbert. Barbarian in the Garden” takes a completely new perspective on the biography of the eminent Polish poet. Paweł Łoziński talks to passers-by in “The Balcony Movie” (world première at the Locarno festival) as he creates a unique, intimate and absorbing tale about our society.
18. Millennium Docs Against Gravity is going to be a fascinating trip, not only around the world but also across many crucial subjects – from environmental protection, through politics, independent journalism, human rights, art (also avant-garde), pop culture and family relations. Join us!
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