DOK Leipzig 25

Swiss audiences may be startled by Gregor Brändli’s new feature premiering in International Competition at DOK Leipzig, and sold by Filmotor. The film looks at the very troubling legacy of the Swiss naturalists Paul and Fritz Sarasin who looted huge amounts of sacred objects and even body parts from Sri Lanka in the late 19th and early 20th Century. “We always grew up with the narrative that we didn’t have colonies and so we’re the good guys,” the director tells BDE, and therefore hopes the film will spark discussions about this little-known side of Swiss history.

Ron Rothschild’s A Jewish Problem probes into very uncomfortable areas both in his family’s history, and that of the state of Israel. Its central figure is his grandmother, Ruth, whom he interviewed at length before she died. “She was a complex figure. She was involved in actions that are morally dubious and she is testifying about this,” Rothschild tells BDE. “I myself had the same kind of history. I am not in the position to judge her.”

White Smoke over Schwarze Pumpe, selected for German Competition at DOK Leipzig, is a film of two halves, looking at working class life in an East German industrial town. The first part was shot by Peter Badel and Dieter Chill just after reunification, the second half between 2019 and 2025 by Badel and Martin Gressmann, the latter of whom answers questions posed by Business Doc Europe.

For Intersection, Karoline Rößler designed a computer game that reveals the levels of discrimination that certain players face. It’s a game designed to be unfair. In the documentary, six protagonists who’ve faced discrimination because of their sexuality, ethnicity or disability, are interviewed individually and take part in a round-table discussion. “I just researched a lot of people who felt were like-minded about the topics I want to stand for, and that I wanted this film to speak about,” the director tells BDE.

The German docfest is looking for ambitious and creative documentary and animated documentary projects, as well as doc series in development or early production, to be submitted by 15 July. “The two-day gathering (27 - 28 Oct) facilitates the financing of new creative documentary projects and offers exclusive access to the multifaceted German and international non-fiction markets,” write organisers.

Industry chief Nadja Tennstedt fills in BDE on what professionals can expect over the coming week, during the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig. This year, a record number of 391 projects were submitted for the DOK Co-Pro Market, of which 35 were chosen, and funders, broadcasters and sales agents were alerted in advance to the projects and filmmakers they may wish to focus on, and vice versa. “That’s how we schedule over 900 meetings that take place over the course of two days,” Tennstedt affirms to BDE.

Top archive producer and footage researcher Elizabeth Klinck fills in Business Doc Europe on this year’s DOK Archive Market, to be held October 30. “It’s wonderful to have both private and public/commercial archives altogether under one roof,” she underlines how the market has become a must-attend event for the sector. “I think DOK Leipzig is right up there and I am always so impressed by the quality of the programming that GRAP (German Researchers and Archive Producers Association) puts together from within their membership base.”

The 21st edition of the DOK Co-Pro Market of DOK Leipzig welcomes 35 documentary projects from 34 countries, all of which are seeking new international financing and co-production partners. Women (co)-directors hold a prominent presence in the line-up, comprising 60 percent of the selection, the festival underlines. This year sees a rise in the number of entries, totaling 391 projects. The DOK Co-Pro Market 2025 will take place 27 October and 28 October, with complementary online meetings on 4-5 November.

Melt is a movie that intends to wrap its audience in a giant white shawl; to explore snow in all its manifestations and guises - and, yes, we do also see penguins traipsing across icy landscapes. But it also offers a grim reflection on how snow is an element in retreat. “If this film had had the title ‘Climate Change,’ nobody would have wanted to see it,” he reflects. “I’m not expecting a film like this to change the world, of course not, but consciousness is the beginning for any change…you can raise awareness!”

Twelve prizes were awarded at DOK Industry during the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig, taking place 27 October to 2 November. The outstanding projects were recognised across three DOK Industry formats: seven awards were presented at the DOK Co-Pro Market, the festival’s major co-financing and networking event, four prizes at the short film pitch DOK Short n’ Sweet, and one award went to a project at DOK Preview Germany.