In her documentary *Free Zone*, Jasmine Alakari follows a young Iranian anarchist named Abtin, who lives in Greece after fleeing his country. There, in the Exarchia neighborhood of Athens, he is active as an activist, squatting in houses and advocating for the rights of refugees—all while risking the loss of his residency status.
In Florinda Ciucio’s short film “In Memory of,” we are immersed in a Gaza that no longer exists as it once did—a Gaza from the memories of Mohammed Imrani. Using only a pencil, paper, and his voice, Mohammed transports us to a city that has been destroyed. He does not use colors in his drawings; he lost them because of the war.
In “Ether” and “Nonna,” we follow two grandmothers through their everyday lives. DOK spotters Gretel and Judie sat down together and talked about the two films and the inspiring older women they feature.
The short film “Lina” tells the story of parents who lost their children during pregnancy or at a very early age. Accompanied by abstract images, those affected tell their stories and provide a deep insight into their emotional world. Mia and Wanda had the opportunity to interview filmmaker Remo Rauscher at Cinestar.
This year, DOK Leipzig will once again present the Young Eyes Award, which is given by a youth jury. Twelve young people are coming together this week to evaluate the films and select the best one. The DOK Spotters met with them.
This year, 180 volunteers are working both in front of and behind the scenes at DOK Leipzig. The DOK Spotters accompanied them—in the cinema, in the guest office, and at the information stand in the pedestrian zone. What does everyday life as a volunteer actually look like? And how do the volunteers perceive the festival atmosphere? The DOK Spotters asked them.
Prison is not usually the first thing we associate with cinema. But “DOK im Knast” (DOK in Prison) combines these seemingly incompatible concepts by allowing a jury of inmates to select one—this time even two—winning films each year. The DOK Spotters were there and report on their prison cinema experience.
The 68th edition of DOK Leipzig has finally begun. The DOK Spotters attended the opening film and took the opportunity to ask the audience outside the cinema a few questions. The diverse answers give the youth editorial team an initial insight into the festival audience and their expectations of the opening film.
In her video diary the Ukrainian director Hanna Trofimova takes us into her life, in the midst of war. She shows images of fear and tells about the guilt she feels, leaving her homeland behind. We met her for an interview about her film “When will the Winter of 2022 end ?“