The Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, often known as CPH:DOX, has unveiled the complete program of its 20th version, which incorporates 200 new movies, greater than half of that are world premieres, sealing CPH:DOX’s popularity as one of many main occasions of its type in Europe.
For the primary time, all 13 movies competing for the highest Dox:Award are world premieres.
These embody “A Storm Foretold,” the long-awaited doc on Donald Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone by Danish political journalist Christopher Guldbrandsen; established filmmaker Margreth Olin’s extremely anticipated epic movie “Songs of the Earth”; “A Tiger in Paradise,” a surreal journey into Swedish singer José González’ internal world by Ruben Östlund’s common artistic companions Mikel Cee Karlsson and Erik Hemmendorff; and “Total Trust” by Jialing Zhang (“One Child Nation”), described as “the primary main movie concerning the Chinese surveillance state (…) – a disturbing story of know-how, (self-) censorship and abuse of energy within the twenty first century.”
The 4 different competitions are the New:Vision Award, devoted to experimental and artists’ movies, the F:Act Award, which covers investigative journalism, the Nordic:Dox Award, which highlights Nordic expertise, and the Next:Wave Award for rising filmmakers and artists.
A novelty this 12 months is the PARAFICTIONS sidebar, a set of eight rigorously curated hybrid movies.
“CPH:DOX is well-known for pushing the boundaries of doc, not least into fiction,” mentioned inventive director Niklas Engstrøm, who has been a part of the pageant’s group for the reason that very begin. “We needed to point out how some movies use fiction to get nearer to actuality, and we thought this anniversary is the appropriate time to have a good time this well-established development that also produces among the most fascinating movies on the market.”
Titles embody “100 Seasons,” Giovanni Bucchieri’s debut function the place the actor-director performs with actuality and fiction, “Dry Ground Burning,” a docufiction set in Brazil, starring non-professional actors, and Albert Serra’s 2022 Cannes entry “Pacifiction,” starring France’s Benoit Magimel.
A number of A-list company can be attending this 20th version, together with German director Wim Wenders for the world premiere of his new compilation movie “A Sense of Place,” created in collaboration with six Iranian filmmakers, Oscar-winning administrators Asif Kapadia (“Amy”) and Chai Vasarhelyi (“Free Solo”), Nathan Fielder, the comic behind HBO’s hit documentary sequence “The Rehearsal,” and people icon Joan Baez for her biographical doc “I Am a Noise,” which premiered on the Berlin Film Festival.
When it involves gender parity, CPH:DOX, whose organizers signed the “50/50 by 2020” pledge in 2019, has reached its objective: this 12 months marks the second time within the pageant’s historical past {that a} majority of movies chosen in competitors are directed by girls.
Engstrøm was eager to underline the truth that, whereas a majority of submissions are nonetheless made by male filmmakers, the variety of movies submitted by feminine administrators is on the rise, a determine which can also be mirrored in each the manufacturing and distribution sectors.
He additionally emphasised the more and more inclusive nature of documentary movies, notably via collaborative initiatives similar to competitors title “The Hearing” or opening movie “Twice Colonized,” which each concerned the principle protagonists within the early film-writing course of.
This anniversary version’s theme “Predicting the Past, Rewriting the Future” explores how each the previous and the longer term play an important function in shaping the current. “What characterised CPH:DOX from the start was its skill to know the developments at a time when documentary was altering quick,” CPH:DOX managing director Katrine Kiilgaard informed Variety.
“The fest grew up with a brand new technology of filmmakers that formed the type of documentary and its function in society. One of its nice achievements is that it has stored that spirit,” she mentioned.
CPH:DOX runs in Copenhagen March 15-26.
Full program under:
DOX:AWARD – 13 movies, all world premieres.
“After Work” (Erik Gandini, Sweden) A thought-provoking movie that appears on the phenomenon of labor within the twenty first century with a pointy eye and an equally sharp humor.
“Eat Bitter” (Ningyi Sun & Pascale Appora-Gnekindy, Central African Republic/China) An area building employee and a Chinese engineer are assigned to construct a financial institution within the Central African Republic.
“The Hearing” (Lisa Gerig, Switzerland) Four asylum seekers reenact their conversations with the authorities in a role-playing sport that reverses the roles.
“Light Needs” (Jesse McLean, United States) Generous and imaginative movie concerning the internal lifetime of houseplants, which takes different life types severely with artistic and inventive originality.
“Motherland” (Alexander Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka, Sweden/Ukraine/Norway) Dark and monumental movie from Belarus, the place corruption and a brutal navy tradition push younger individuals to decide on sides.
“On the Edge” (Nicolas Peduzzi, France) A younger physician with an exemplary humanist spirit fights a courageous battle to carry collectively the run-down Paris hospital the place he works.
“The Other Profile” (Armel Hostiou, France) An elementally suspenseful and fully unpredictable detective story from Kinshasa, the place a French movie director has to search out his personal double.
“Songs of Earth” (Margreth Olin, Norway) The mountainous landscapes of Norway present the monumental backdrop for an impressive, existential journey with the filmmaker’s dad and mom as its human yardstick.
“A Storm Foretold” (Christoffer Guldbrandsen, Denmark) Christoffer Guldbrandsen’s long-awaited movie about Donald Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone is a chilling report from the rotten core of energy.
“Theatre of Violence” (Emil Langballe & Lukasz Konopa, Denmark) An epic and unshakeable drama of guilt and punishment concerning the first ever court docket case in opposition to a former youngster soldier accused of crimes in opposition to humanity.
“A Tiger in Paradise” (Mikel Cee Karlsson, Sweden) A surreal journey into singer José González’s internal world of ideas and shadows, staged with darkish humor within the picturesque Swedish countryside.
“Total Trust” (Jialing Zhang, China) The first main movie concerning the Chinese surveillance state is a disturbing story of know-how, abuse of energy and (self-)censorship within the twenty first century.
“Vintersaga” (Carl Olsson, Sweden) The human comedy unfolds in an aesthetically uncompromising and unmistakably Nordic saga in 24 chapters with darkish humor and a sociological gaze.
NEW:VISION AWARD – 16 movies (shorts and options) together with 14 world premieres, one worldwide premiere and one European premiere:
“Bruises” (Ginan Seidl & Daniel Ulacia, Germany/Mexico, World Premiere)
“Drifting Woods” (Pia Rönicke, Denmark, World Premiere)
“The Society of the Spectacle” (Roxy Farhat & Göran Hugo Olsson, Sweden, World Premiere)
“Burial of this Order” (Jane Jin Kaisen, Denmark/Germany, World Premiere)
“Into the Violet Belly” (Thuy-han Nguyen, Vietnam/Germany, European Premiere)
“The Secret Garden” (Nour Ouayda, Lebanon, World Premiere)
“Fat to Ashes” (Pauline Curnier Jardin, France, World Premiere)
“Insert Song” (Kamil Dossar, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Pacific Club” (Valentin Noujaïm, France, World Premiere)
“Nothing Runs Like a Deere” (Max Göran, Sweden, World Premiere)
“New Centuries are Rare” (Coyote, Sweden/Denmark, World Premiere)
“An Excavation” (Maeve Brennan, U.Ok., International Premiere)
“An Asian Ghost Story” (Bo Wang, Hong Kong/Netherlands, World Premiere)
“The Departing Images” (Ana Edwards, Chile/France, World Premiere)
“Levitate” (Iván Argote, Italy/Spain/France, World Premiere)
“A Piece of Work” (Deniz Eroglu, Denmark/Turkey, World Premiere)
F:ACT AWARD – 11 movies together with six world premieres and three worldwide premieres, two European premieres.
“20 Days in Mariupol” (Mstyslav Chernov, Ukraine, European Premiere)
“Baghdad on Fire” (Karrar Al-Azzawi, Iraq/Norway, World Premiere)
“Beyond Utopia” (Madeleine Gavin, U.S., International Premiere)
“Blix, Birds & Bombs” (Greta Stocklassa, Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany, World Premiere)
“Breaking Social” (Fredrik Gertten, Sweden, World Premiere)
“Deep Rising” (Matthieu Rytz, U.S., European Premiere)
“Phantom Parrot” (Kate Stonehill, U.Ok., World Premiere)
“Praying for Armageddon” (Tonje Hessen Schei, Norway, World Premiere)
“Seven Winters in Tehran” (Steffi Niederzoll, Germany/France, International Premiere)
“The Hostage Takers” (Puk Damsgaard/Søren Klovborg, Denmark, World Premiere) “Victim/Suspect” (Nancy Schwartzman, U.S,, International Premiere)
NORDIC:DOX AWARD – 11 movies together with eight world premieres and three worldwide premieres.
“Fighters” (Jon Haukeland, Norway, International Premiere)
“Heartist” (Marianna Mørkøre, Beinta á Torkilsheyggi, Faroe Islands, World Premiere)
“Hypermoon” (Mia Engberg, Sweden, International Premiere)
“Just Before Death” (Anne Regitze Wivel, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Labor” (Tove Pils, Sweden, International Premiere)
“Lynx Man” (Juha Suonpää, Finland, World Premiere)
“Mrs Hansen & the Bad Companions” (Jella Bethmann, Denmark, World Premiere)
“A Silent Story” (Anders Skovbjerg Jepsen, Denmark/Sweden, World Premiere)
“Soviet Bus Stops” (Kristoffer Hegnsvad, Canada/Denmark, World Premiere)
“The Gamer” (Petri Luukkainen/Jesse Jokinen, Finland, World Premiere)
“Voice” (Ane Hjort Guttu, Norway, World Premiere)
NEXT:WAVE AWARD – 10 movies together with 5 world premieres, three worldwide premieres and two European premieres.
“Megaheartz” (Emily Norling, Sweden/Norway, World Premiere)
“Queendom” (Agniia Galdanova, U.S., International Premiere)
“Silent Sun of Russia” (Sybilla Tuxen, Denmark, World Premiere)
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” (Anna Hints, Estonia, European Premiere)
“The Flag” (Joseph Paris, France, World Premiere)
“The Group Crit” (Sille Storihle, Norway, International Premiere)
“The Last Year of Darkness” (Benjamin Mullinkosson, China/U.S., World Premiere)
“The Mountains” (Christian Einshøj, Denmark/Norway, World Premiere)
“The Tuba Thieves” (Alison O’Daniel, U.S., International Premiere)
“Twice Colonized” (Lin Alluna, Denmark/Greenland/Canada, European Premiere)
