The 21st edition of Millennium Docs Against Gravity (May 10-19, Poland) unveiled April 16 its Main Competition selection. The 12 films from around the world are directed by a total of 10 female and 9 male directors and will compete for six awards across six festival cities, including the Grand Prix – Millennium Bank Award.
The 2024 jury members are:
- Anna Hints – Estonian film director (Smoke Sauna Sisterhood)
- Murtada Elfadl – Sudanese culture writer, critic, and film curator based in New York.
- Lauren Greenfield – Award-winning American documentary filmmaker (Queen of Versailles)
Main Competition of the 21st Millennium Docs Against Gravity
- Agent of Happiness, dir. Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó Although their lives are modest and luxuries few, the Bhutanese teach a clear lesson about the happiness derived from the simplest things. This rings especially true for those who embrace their blessings and spirituality.
- Forest, dir. Lidia Duda Asia and Marek created their own paradise in the forest, a place where their children were going to grow up safely, far away from the problems of today’s world. Yet, one day, big politics came knocking on their door. And nothing was the same anymore.
- Hollywoodgate, dir. Ibrahim Nash’at Immediately after the US pullout from Afghanistan, Taliban forces occupied the Hollywood Gate complex. Over the course of a year, the director follows the development of “Hollywood Gate” and provides an authentic glimpse into the Taliban’s rapid rise to power.
- Ibelin, dir. Benjamin Ree Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.
- I’m Not Everything I Want To Be, dir. Klára Tasovská The documentary is a comprehensive picture of photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková’s life and artistic journey while capturing the feeling of the era. Employing a rich montage of the photographer’s images, including self-portraits that predate the “selfie” era, ”I’m Not Everything I Want to Be” retraces the pivotal moments in Libuše Jarcovjáková’s path from obscurity to recognition.
- Mother Vera, dir. Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson “Mother Vera” is the story of a young nun; her turbulent past, and fragile future. At the monastery farm, people live in rehabilitation. They are a mirror to Vera’s old life. Faced with a hard decision, Vera must confront her past to find the freedom. (International premiere)
- No Other Land, dir. Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor A Palestinian activist named Basel Adra has been resisting the forced displacement of his people by Israel’s military in Masafer Yatta, a region in the West Bank, since he was a child. He befriends Yuval, an Israeli journalist who helps him in his struggle.
- Nocturnes, dir. Anupama Srinivasan, Anirban Dutta Amidst the lush Eastern Himalayan forests, moths convey a mysterious message. Under the cover of night, two inquisitive observers illuminate this clandestine universe, unraveling the secrets whispered by these enigmatic creatures.
- Soundtrack to Coup d’Etàt, dir. Johan Grimonprez Jazz and decolonization are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
- sr, dir. Lea Hartlaub Sr draws a panorama of human activity spanning centuries and continents. In 16 fragmentary episodes the film reports on political and societal conditions, of theoretical discourses, human creations and realities of everyday life.
- Sugarcane, dir. Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie Investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. A multilayered film that invites audiences to confront profound questions about morality and justice. (European premiere)
- The Last Expedition, dir. Eliza Kubarska The true story of Wanda Rutkiewicz, the first woman in the world and the first person from Poland to climb the highest peaks on earth, told by herself. Wanda entered the men’s world of mountaineers uninvited and paid the highest price for it. (World premiere)
