elc team
By Katerina Parri
The 28th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is ready to begin amid global events that are decisive, complex and deeply challenging. Yet the “world” we refer to is not a distant place that does not affect us directly. What is happening today unfolds right beside us – perhaps even closer than we imagine – and inevitably concerns us all.
Although the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival focuses on a specific cinematic form, it has long been cherished precisely for the sense of truth that its films bring to their observation of the world. This year, these “truths” are also reflected in impressive numbers: 252 documentaries, both short and feature-length, including 80 world premieres – a record number in the history of the Festival – as well as 32 international premieres and 11 European premieres.
True to its longstanding role as an institution with strong social awareness, the Thessaloniki Festival once again demonstrated its responsiveness to the times. During the official presentation of the programme for the 28th TDF, the speakers aptly emphasised, among other things, the orientation of this year’s edition:
“As long as the machinery of war continues to operate, openly threatening global stability, no one can afford to remain complacent. Here at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival we have the privilege, the joy, but above all the responsibility to highlight the importance and the real power of documentary filmmaking – the enduring power of memory and truth. Guided by our belief in the universal values of freedom, democracy, equality, inclusion and dignity, we have prepared a Festival that will illuminate everything that is happening in the world. Everything that concerns us. Without asterisks. This is our direction, as we aim to offer a safe platform for talented and tireless documentary filmmakers from around the world to present their work – work that sometimes involves risks and personal costs far greater than what the camera ultimately reveals. For this reason, bringing these creators and their invaluable work together with the Festival’s audience, and fostering their meaningful interaction over eleven days in Thessaloniki, is for us a mission of the utmost importance.”
The 28th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival will open on Thursday, March 5 with the international premiere of Ask I. Jean, directed by Ivy Meeropol, a film about journalist and author E. Jean Carroll, who filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for sexual assault and defamation and became the only woman to defeat him twice in court.
The Festival will close on Sunday, March 15 with the screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pavel “Pasha” Talankin.
At the same time, Juliette Binoche will honour the 28th TDF with her presence as a director, presenting the documentary In-I In Motion, which explores her collaboration with the renowned British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan.
A major tribute titled All the World’s Memory will run throughout this year’s edition, weaving through different aspects of the Festival – from films and discussions to the official spot and its publications. The Golden Alexander Award will be presented to the distinguished filmmaker Vouvoula Skoura for her contribution to Greek cinema and culture, as well as to the American multimedia artist Bill Morrison, who will also deliver a masterclass open to the public.
The closing of the 28th TDF will also be a celebration of cinema, featuring a live broadcast of the OSCARS® ceremony followed by an all-night party at Olympion.
Screenings, discussions and tributes will take place at Olympion, Pavlos Zannas, and the Port venues Frida Liappa, Tonia Marketaki, John Cassavetes, and Stavros Tornes, as well as at the Makedonikon cinema.
Many films from the programme will also be available online through the Festival’s digital platform at online.filmfestival.gr.
We have selected some standout titles from each section of the 28th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and wish everyone a wonderful Festival with open horizons!
International Competition
Soap Fever
When the collapse of the Soviet Union dragged down the economy of neighbouring Finland, the Nordic country found itself plunged into a prolonged recession. With no signs of recovery on the horizon, an unexpected escape from the bleak reality arrived in the form of a soap opera. The broadcast of The Bold and the Beautiful on Finnish television quickly attracted a massive and devoted audience, while the arrival of the American stars for a promotional tour triggered an unprecedented wave of public excitement. Beyond offering an entertaining – and self-aware – look back at the historical impact of the series in Finland during the early 1990s, Soap Fever also examines the conditions under which the human need for escapism intensifies, especially when everything around seems dark.
“Newcomers” International Competition
Inner Emigrants
A group of psychologists in Moscow provide anonymous telephone counselling in the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. For her second feature-length film, Russian director Lena Karbe returns to her homeland after fifteen years in Germany and chooses to focus on the often invisible and emotionally demanding work of mental health professionals. How does Russian society perceive the invasion, and why is there so little public reaction? What impact does state propaganda have on the population? What happens when the patient holds completely different views from the therapist – for instance, when they support the war, or seek advice on matters that are illegal in Russia, such as LGBTQ+ issues? What does “neutrality” mean in such a context, where should the boundaries be drawn, and how does each professional navigate them while trying to preserve their professional integrity, personal safety and psychological well-being?
EXILE(S), Tales From an Island
One hundred years after the Treaty of Lausanne, the inhabitants of Imbros search for a new present while the consequences of population movements in the region remain visible. Abandoned villages, lives lost to time, customs, traditions and rituals form a distinctive cultural palimpsest where memories and borders are constantly shifting. Yet coexistence is not always easy.
In Cod We Trust
In the northernmost regions of Norway, where winter stretches for months beneath the veil of the polar night and the sea dictates every decision, lies Båtsfjord – a fishing village where cod holds greater significance than God. This playfully ironic portrait unfolds like an artistic tapestry woven from carefully selected vignettes, capturing the spirit of an isolated Arctic community. Its inventive and eccentric inhabitants – as unpredictable as the snowstorms that sweep across the region – are united through fishing, nature and a shared sense of belonging. The film invites viewers to experience the rhythm, drama and intimacy of life at the edge of the world, revealing that in the coldest corners of the earth we encounter some of the warmest people: intelligent, generous individuals with remarkable strength of spirit.
Film Forward International Competition
The Culprits
After years of silence about the abortion she had as a teenager, director Marta Durán Lozano gathers testimonies from women who have undergone similar experiences. Together with teenagers who have recently terminated pregnancies, Lozano initiates a collective creative process, revisiting, embodying and redefining these personal stories. The film captures an emotional landscape of fear, vulnerability and quiet resilience, documenting the hidden struggles of young women confronting social stigma, internalised guilt and insufficient institutional support. At a time when the right to abortion is increasingly under threat, the film becomes a powerful act of solidarity – transforming loneliness into collective experience, shame into mutual understanding, and secrecy into a space of emotional strength and empathy.
Trine on Fire
Eleven years ago, then 34-year-old Trine set fire to her own home – an act that led to long-term psychiatric institutionalisation. Despite numerous suicide attempts and with her self-destructive impulses not yet fully extinguished, she now declares herself ready for an ambitious new beginning: to express her inner world through a theatrical performance. As she prepares the piece with director Alexander Lind, he simultaneously films what becomes a true meta-documentary. Sitting in the front row opposite the stage are Trine’s parents, with whom she hopes to reconcile. Trine on Fire is a rare, visually rich and disarmingly honest exploration of the unspeakable dimensions of the psyche – as overwhelming and intense as the flame that continues to burn within its protagonist.
Top Docs
Natchez
In the town of Natchez, Mississippi, the local economy largely depends on reenactments of the antebellum era. In this living museum of the American South, the predominantly white residents – often descendants of plantation owners who once enslaved people – participate in a romanticised version of American history, while the town’s few Black residents present a different narrative. In a place named after the Indigenous Natchez people, who were wiped out by European settlers, the question arises: who ultimately defines the dominant historical narrative? Beneath the façade of a town full of contradictions that survives as a tourist attraction, one only needs to observe its social geography, body language or the – not always visible – racial tensions to sense the true depth of the divisions shaping contemporary America.
Open Horizons
Bitter Chocolate
In a traditional cocoa-farming community in Ghana, the implementation of an organic farming project by a European entrepreneur of African descent puts existing power dynamics within the community to the test, while also confronting the dreams of young farmers who long to escape to Europe.
The Night Smells of Jasmine
Inmates in the women’s prison of Korydallos share moments from their lives before and after incarceration. Through memories, everyday routines and the choices that shaped them, their stories intersect behind prison bars, where the absence of freedom coexists with the resilience that hope can generate.
No Mercy
“Women make tougher films!” Ever since the cult filmmaker Kira Muratova expressed this thought to the young director Izza Willinger at the beginning of her career, it left a lasting impression on her. How can this be explained, when women are so often associated with empathy and sensitivity? With this film, Willinger embarks on a journey to meet some of the most influential female filmmakers of our time. She encounters internationally acclaimed directing legends as well as emerging creators and radical pioneers. What becomes clear is that the cinematic screen reflects real social problems and power relations. Yet the film asks an even more essential question: where do we truly stand today when it comes to women, men and power? The film features Ana Lily Amirpour, Catherine Breillat, Jackie Buet, Margit Czenki, Virginie Despentes, Alice Diop, Valie Export, Nina Menkes, Marzieh Meshkini, Mouly Surya, Céline Sciamma, Joey Soloway, Monika Treut and Apolline Traoré.
Popel (Ashes)
A professor and the relative of a displaced person who disappeared during World War II begin an investigation across Europe in an effort to uncover his story. Their search leads to the astonishing discovery of the fate of František Suchý and his son, who, defying the Nazi regime and risking their lives, managed to preserve the names and ashes of more than 2,200 Holocaust victims. A moving journey into the greatest tragedy of the twentieth century, the film is also a tribute to the power of memory and the unyielding resilience of those who refuse to surrender to evil. Combining striking animation with the suspense of a historical thriller, the documentary retrieves from the ashes of destruction a renewed faith in humanity – a timeless defence against the brutality of power.
Rebel
On 1 October 2017, during the referendum on Catalonia’s independence, police violently dragged Marta Torrecillas from a polling station in Barcelona to the nearest police station. The image and her recorded message went viral within hours, turning her into an international symbol of resistance against state repression. A few days later, when an expert report concluded that she had suffered no physical injuries, Marta became the target of fierce backlash from the media. Subjected to harassment and threats and diagnosed with PTSD, she began a long struggle to clear her name and reclaim her dignity. The documentary portrays both female strength and the care needed to heal trauma inflicted in public view. Refusing to let a viral image define her life, Marta shares her story as a moving exploration of resilience, solidarity and the urgent need for truth and accountability in the digital age.
Reality Is Not Enough
Author of Trainspotting, the novel that defined an entire era, Irvine Welsh remains a radical voice who continues to experiment. While touring Canada to promote his new book, he once again explores the limits of consciousness by trying DMT at a specialised therapeutic centre. What follows is a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic trip that takes viewers directly into the mind of an untamed creator. At once an unconventional portrait of an iconic writer and a collective portrait of British society and its tensions over more than four decades, Paul Sung’s new film also delves into the mechanisms of artistic creation while issuing a powerful call for political vigilance and engagement. Welsh’s portrait is further enriched by readings from his work by devoted admirers, including Nick Cave and Liam Neeson.
Flana
Growing up in Baghdad in the home of her aunt Hayat, Zahra witnessed the harsh reality of violence against women V a reality that persists today, as women continue to disappear in the country on a weekly basis. When her childhood friend Noor goes missing, the filmmaker sets out on a search for the truth, navigating the dense web woven by war and tribal law in Iraq. The film’s title derives from an Arabic word used to describe anonymous or missing women. Through the director’s tender yet penetrating gaze, the past and present converge as testimonies from older and younger women intertwine, tracing the paths of the missing girls – whether in orphanages or other dark and uncertain places. As she moves through the shadowy intersections of public and private life, the filmmaker examines the trauma experienced simultaneously by multiple generations of women. With restrained cinematography and evocative music, this powerful film brings to light something that for far too long remained unseen and unspoken.
Open Horizons – Shorts
Not Scared, Just Sad
How do people continue with their lives while war rages around them? Isabelle Mekatraf’s short documentary was filmed in Beirut during the Israeli bombings on the outskirts of the city in November 2024. Turning the camera toward her own family environment, the director captures everyday routines unfolding under the shock and mournful atmosphere of war. Through simple gestures, conversations and silences, the film reveals the quiet emotional weight of living alongside violence without directly experiencing it. A subtle portrait of human resilience, where sadness, uncertainty and patience prevail over heroism.
Elliniko
One of the most characteristic “non-places” of contemporary Greek reality, once a monument of modernism and a lasting promise of a distinctive cosmopolitanism, the former Elliniko airport is now undergoing a profound transformation. With rare access to its present-day ruins and guided by an employee who witnessed the golden age of the old Athens airport, the documentary introduces us to an in-between world – both ethereal and harsh – where the dream of navigation and the uplifting pull of the sky collide with earthly structures marked by cracks and human traces. Like an archaeological excavation, the film reveals the layered history of Elliniko, from its glorious past to its use as a refugee camp and its current redevelopment as the so-called Athenian Riviera. In doing so, the director converses with ghosts of the past, reminding us of the persistent nature of crisis.
All the World’s Memory: Tribute to Archives
B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin
Driven by youthful impulsiveness and a fearless spirit, the irrepressible music lover Mark Reeder did the unthinkable: in his twenties he left behind 1970s Manchester to seek the holy grail of electronic music in West Berlin. It was a Berlin that soon became his home – a city that, despite being divided, had room for everyone and everything, including the then-young Nick Cave and Tilda Swinton. In the city-symbol of Cold War absurdity, this eccentric figure – with a penchant for military uniforms and an instinct that later made him a successful music producer and talent scout for artists such as Paul van Dyk – flourished like a hallucinogenic flower growing along the Wall. Thanks to him and the camera he constantly carried to record everything around him, we now have this vibrant and unique document of the city that gave birth to the underground.
My Mexican Bretzel
This historical film immerses viewers in the pulse of the mid-twentieth century through the eyes and lens of Vivian and León Barrett. Their diaries intertwine with the film footage they captured, revealing a personal and historical mosaic. The documentary combines Vivian Barrett’s intimate diary entries with the evocative images filmed by León Barrett from the 1940s through the 1960s. Spanning three transformative decades, the narrative offers a unique glimpse into everyday life, significant historical moments and the subtle interplay between personal and global histories during a dynamic era. Through Vivian’s reflective voice and León’s perceptive gaze, the film captures the essence of a time, inviting viewers to experience the world as the Barretts did – frame by frame, word by word.
Greek Documentaries: Special Screenings
Thrax Punks Kuzin
What tastes better? The fiery traditional red Thracian trachanas? The refined and distinctive Neapolitan Canotto pizza? Or perhaps the unexpected Thracian-Chinese fusion inspired by the borderland of Evros? The band Thrax Punks create an unforgettable punk-style feast, offering an alternative and exuberant musical and culinary celebration.
PLATFORM+
Giorgos Tziokas: The Painter of Poetry
This documentary follows the life and work of artist Giorgos Tziokas, known for his artistic illustrations of major works by renowned creators – including composer Manos Hadjidakis and his iconic The Smile of the Mona Lisa, as well as Odysseas Elytis and his celebrated work Axion Esti, which earned the poet the Nobel Prize.
All of Them Present
Alexandros, the head of cultural programming at a well-known cultural centre, spends his final day alone, recalling great artistic moments and lost friendships with significant figures of the arts whom he encountered there over the past twenty-five years. His memories unfold through archival material, reconstructing a personal and collective cultural history.
NextGen
Belleville Beats
In the multicultural neighbourhood of Belleville in Paris, Mathieu, Solo, Kani and their friends gather in the evenings at La Perm, a self-managed youth centre. Here they find refuge from the tensions of the street and the inequalities they face in a society where opportunities are not equally distributed. At La Perm they create, share and support one another, guided by volunteer mentors who help them navigate education, work and their rights. Standing on the threshold of adulthood, they engage in intense discussions about identity, systemic racism, police violence and their uncertain future in a rapidly changing neighbourhood. Full of rhythm, energy and creative momentum, the documentary follows these young people as they decide to organise the Belleville en Vrai festival – a portrait of resilience, friendship, collective action and empowerment.
