We are pleased to reveal the new KineDok catalogue of creative documentaries, already available for screenings in our network of alternative venues across the country. This edition features an expanded selection of 17 films and two immersive VR experiences. In addition to the 10 recent documentaries from the participating countries – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Romania – local partners can also screen a heritage film program curated by Adina Brădeanu, an archival film from the Czech Republic and a Denmark Focus.
This year’s selection brings together films that explore the past to better understand the present, follow intimate personal transformations and give voice to communities on the verge of change.
"The new KineDok film collection is without a doubt one of the best we’ve ever curated in the history of the project. Together with our international partners, we’ve had the opportunity to assemble an exceptionally strong catalogue of documentary films – titles that are winning awards at international festivals while also surprising audiences with their boldness, playfulness, and openness in both form and theme.
Among them, you’ll find films that push the boundaries of traditional documentary filmmaking – from a powerful film composed entirely of photographs, to an animated documentary about the wild 1990s based on real testimonies, to a light-hearted hybrid film by documentary veteran Peter Kerekes. These stories will take you to Bhutan, where people measure happiness; into the hidden world of Brazilian los baloieros, who refuse to give up their need for self-expression and launch magnificent balloons over 70 meters tall into the sky; into the life of photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková; or to a self-sufficient women’s community on a Croatian island. In environments where tradition often binds, new spaces of freedom, creativity, and hope are emerging.
I’m especially pleased that this year we’re seeing a significant increase in the number of screening venues and events. That makes me appreciate even more the opportunity to bring films into this space that inspire with their sense of hope and offer fresh perspectives on the world around us. We believe audiences will fall in love with them just as we have," says KineDok International manager Ivana Formanová.
Among the Romanian cities where we’ll be meeting in the coming months are Arad, Bârlad, Bistrița, Botoșani, Brașov, București, Cincu, Cluj-Napoca, Galați, Onești, Oradea, Petroșani, Reșița, Roșia Montană, Sibiu, Suceava, Târgu Neamț and Timișoara, and the list remains open. If you want to bring KineDok to your city, please write to us at kinedok@oneworld.ro.
We invite you to further explore this edition’s film catalogue, available for screenings until April 2026.
DENMARK FOCUS:
BALOMANIA, by Sissel Morell Dargis, DK / ES, 2024, 93 min.
With police and bounty hunters hot on her heels, a young filmmaker embarks on a wild ride with a Brazilian brotherhood of balloon builders as they launch into the sky spectacular balloons over 70 metres large. An intimate and explosive story of community, freedom and self-expression.
A SILENT STORY, by Anders Skovbjerg Jepsen, DK / SE, 2023, 88 min.
A man unravels his trauma and seeks answers from a childhood friend who sexually abused him. This autobiographical film captures his complicated, long journey for closure as he confronts the past.
HERITAGE FILM:
BYEWAY, by Ivo Bystřičan, CZ, 2013, 72 min.
A documentary about the never-ending construction of the D8 highway meant to connect Prague with Germany. Instead, it split the landscape and society—becoming a symbol of state dysfunction, legal disputes, and local frustration.
SHADOWS OF HISTORY:
Heritage short film program curated by Adina Brădeanu
Block of four short films from the 1960s and 1970s, produced in four KineDok project countries. These films offer a glimpse into the recent past of each country, as found in their film archives.
A GIFTED TOWN, by Vladimir Kressl, CS, 1965, 11 min.
INHABITANTS OF CASTLES, by Judit Elek, HU, 1966, 28 min.
LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD, by Krsto Papić, YU, 1970, 16 min.
THE JOURNALS OF HRIB, by Slavomir Popovici, RO, 1974, 14 min.
Available starting September 1st, 2025.
VR FILMS:
21-22 CHINA, by Thierry Loa, CA, 2023, 23 min.
"21-22 CHINA" presents an immersive, meditative journey across the world’s fastest-growing superpower—a land undergoing rapid urbanization, major industrial development, and massive topographical transformations.
FRESH MEMORIES: THE LOOK, by Ondřej Moravec & Volodymyr Kolbasa, CZ / UA, 2023, 10 min.
"Fresh Memories: The Look" is a short Czech-Ukrainian VR film that transports viewers into the heart of bombed-out Kharkiv—one of the cities most devastated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through powerful, direct eye contact, the film shares the emotional stories of local residents affected by the war. Viewers find themselves in ruined apartments, hospitals, and playgrounds, where people silently convey their pain and resilience. Inspired by Marina Abramović’s performance The Artist Is Present, this immersive experience confronts the audience with the raw human face of war.
NEW DOCUMENTARIES FROM PARTNER COUNTRIES:
THE OTHER ONE, by Marie-Magdalena Kochová, CZ / SK, 2024, 88 min.
As she steps into adulthood, a young woman must reconcile her longing for independence with the fear of abandoning her sister, who lives with atypical autism. A coming-of-age documentary exploring responsibility, self-love, and the deep bonds of sisterhood.
I'M NOT EVERYHING I WANT TO BE, by Klára Tasovská, CZ / SK / AT, 2024, 90 min.
A self-portrait of an artist seeking freedom, seen through the camera lens of Libuše Jarcovjáková. Hailing from communist Czechoslovakia, her extensive photograph collection takes audiences between three cities in her early career.
GRAND PRIZE, by Anja Koprivšek, HR, 2024, 46 min.
In a society where being LGBTQ+ often means living on the margins, Teo—a young trans man—finds community and support in Valentina, an experienced ballroom dancer. Their connection quietly deepens as they navigate everyday life and personal change.
THE GROUND WHERE WE STAND, by Karla Crnčević, HR, 2024, 65 min.
In the remote interior of the island of Brač, a group of women lives in a self-sufficient utopia — but when the issue of land ownership arises, the very foundation of their community is threatened.
ALICE ON & OFF, by Isabela Tent, RO, 2024, 86 min.
A documentary portrait of a girl who began living the life of an adult at sixteen, yet her own pain and trauma keep her from truly growing up. Over the course of ten years, she repeatedly tries to find herself and reconnect with her son.
IMAGINARY YOUTH, by Ruxandra Gubernat, RO, 2024, 84 min.
Three high school seniors—Una, an aspiring actress, Habet, a trap artist, and Stefania, an environmental activist—face the uncertainties of their future plans as the Covid pandemic upends their lives. Forced to reassess their dreams of studying abroad, they grapple with self-discovery, societal pressure, and the reality of growing up.
MS. PRESIDENT, by Marek Šulík, SK / CZ, 2024, 108 min.
Pivotal moments of political drama, encounters with world leaders over global dilemmas, and quiet conversations with ordinary citizens about everyday struggles—this documentary follows Slovakia’s president, Zuzana Čaputová, through the turbulent years of her presidency.
GREY ZONE, by Daniela Meressa Rusnoková, SK, 2024, 80 min.
An authorial documentary directed by Daniela Meressa Rusnoková that brings a sensitive perspective on the little-discussed topic of premature births and saving highly immature infants born in the so-called “grey zone”.
AGENT OF HAPPINESS, by Arun Bhattarai & Dorottya Zurbó, HU / BT, 2024, 93 min.
What does it mean to measure happiness? In Bhutan, agents survey and converse with people door-to-door to help measure the country’s Gross National Happiness, but these agents must search for their personal happiness as well.
PELIKAN BLUE, by László Csáki, HU, 2023, 79 min.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Hungary’s youth dream of exploring the world — but with no money, adventure seems out of reach. Three young men find a daring solution: master the art of forging international train tickets.
NATIONAL ORGANISER
One World Romania Association
PARTNERS
Institute of Documentary Film (Czech Republic), Filmtopia (Slovakia), Anthropolis (Hungary), Restart (Croatia)
SUPPORTED BY
Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Romanian Film Center
MONITORING PARTNER
mediaTRUST Romania
KineDok is a unique European program, running simultaneously in five partner countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Romania, where it is coordinated by the One World Romania Association, in close partnership with the film festival. Each of the participating countries contributes some of their latest documentaries, which are screened in hundreds of alternative venues, bridging cultures and communities. Audiences have the chance to watch a selection of films that are not usually screened in regular cinemas and to take part in lively post-screening debates with filmmakers and local experts from different fields.
