The 26th Ji.hlava IDFF will open with 8th Day of the War directed by Oksana Moiseniuk. The film was made on the eighth day of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“8th Day of the War is not actually about the war, but about its impact on the Ukrainian diaspora in Czechia. We got the idea on the sixth day of the invasion, when as a representative of our community I was permanently in touch with other Ukrainians who had been living in the Czech Republic for a long time,” says the director.
“We organized humanitarian collections, collected bulletproof vests for the army and medicines for civilians, assisted Ukrainian refugees at the border, helped them with accommodation and registration. We transformed the terror, fear and helplessness of what was happening in our country into consolidation of forces and help. The film is set in the Czech Republic, but there are thousands of Ukrainians in a similar situation in every corner of the world. Let the documentary be an ode to them. To those of my fellow citizens who have lived abroad for a long time, but are forever connected to Ukraine through their roots,” adds Oksana Moiseniuk, who will personally introduce the film at the opening ceremony of the festival. The film screens in Czech Joy competition.
Contribution to World Cinema Award will go to Dušan Hanák
This year, the Contribution to World Cinema Award will go to Slovak filmmaker, and prominent representative of the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s, Dušan Hanák. “His film work is very inspiring for its distinctive handwriting, courage and ability to capture the essential themes of his time, even at the cost of the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by the totalitarian regime. The critical nature of Dušan Hanák’s films stemmed primarily from their consistent authenticity, combining experimentation with civility. Since 1992, he worked as a teacher at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where he significantly influenced the next generation of directors,” explains festival director Marek Hovorka.
Masterclass: Baydarov and Baichwal
The festival will also host a masterclass by the internationally acclaimed Azerbaijani director Hilal Baydarov, “whose first filmmaking steps are linked to Ji.hlava.” Baydarov will present his latest feature film Sermon to the Fish (Constellations section), which premiered in Locarno this year. This will be complemented by his masterclass, “What is fiction in documentaries?” His film, about a soldier who returns to his native Azerbaijani village and wants to come to terms with his war trauma, will be presented at Ji.hlava in its Czech premiere.
Canadian documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal will also present her creative method. This year’s Ji.hlava will present her latest film Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs Monsanto, which chronicles the court case between Mr. Johnson and the agrochemical company Monsanto, a producer of herbicide Roundup that has caused his cancer.
Special Events: Kunstkamera, and Godard
In the Special Event section audiences can see a two-hour director’s cut of Jan Švankmajer’s Kunstkamera in world-premiere. The film presents the extraordinary art collection that the famous filmmaker, surrealist, artist and writer Švankmajer gathered at his castle in Horní Staňkov.
What’s more, French film Godard Cinema directed by Cyril Leuthy will provide an overview of the work by French director Jean-Luc Godard, who died this September.
Juries 2022
This year the five-member jury of the Opus Bonum section will find not only the winner of the main category, but also in the category of cinematography, editing or sound design. Jury members will be Filipino director Lav Diaz, film critic Carmen Gray from New Zealand, Portuguese DocLisboa Festival director Miguel Ribeiro, Czech animation director Diana Cam Van Nguyen and Romanian film producer Bianca Oana.
Professional prizes will also be awarded in the Czech Joy section, whose jury will consist of Italian documentary filmmaker and last year’s winner Francesco Montagner, comic artist and screenwriter Džian Baban, Bosnian-French producer Jasmina Sijerčić, film law expert Ivan David and film journalist Táňa Zabloudilová.
The winner of the best experimental films in the Fascinations and Exprmntl.cz sections are selected by a family jury, this year consisting of Filipino artist and filmmaker Roxlee and his partner Lolita Arboleda.
The jury of the Testimonies section will include Filipino artist and filmmaker Kiri Dalena and Eliška Klodová, activist and editor of the magazine Druhá : směna. This year for the first time, the Best VR Work Award will be presented. The winner will be chosen by, among others, Danish director Vibeke Bryld and Slovak organiser Ĺubica Drangová.
The 26th Ji.hlava IDFF will take place on October 25–30, 2022. The programme sections are available here. https://www.ji-hlava.com/programove-sekce
