Millennium Docs Against Gravity comes of age! The online part of the 18th edition of the festival, which became the largest Polish film event last year, will take place from 16th September to 3rd October! As always, there will not only be unforgettable screenings but also unique meetings with filmmakers and protagonists, as well as debates on various topics presented in the films. The perfect occasion to follow the latest achievements of the highest quality documentary cinema from all over the world premiering in Poland!
This year’s festival’s motto is “The World is Waking Up” – a quote from one of Greta Thunberg’s moving speeches. We all hope that things will start coming back to normal and the pandemic, which completely changed our everyday life, will be defeated. We want the festival to bring hope that the social solidarity, which we are witnessing now, is here to stay. Many films in the programme of the 18th Millennium Docs Against Gravity Many concern activism and call for acting for a better, equal and green world.
This year, we are giving a lot of attention to films which tell stories of people who act for the environment, human rights and working conditions. They protest against the destruction of the planet, like Janka Świerżewska, the protagonist of the film “The Last Generation” (dir. Mikołaj Borowy) or try to find the source of social inequality, by investigating the operation of today’s giant corporations, like the makers of the film "The New Corporation” (dir. Jennifer Abott, Joel Bakan), the sequel of our festival’s hit – “Corporation” from 2003. The world of young activists is shown in the film “Dear Future Children” (dir. Franz Böhm) which is a meeting with kids from different parts of the world who fight for issues which are crucial to them. In the film “Courage” (dir. Aliaksei Paluyan) we follow a group of Byelorussian theatre artists who resist Lukashenko’s regime after the election.
During the 18th edition of the festival we are introducing several new sections. DIY Protest consists of films which show that all you have to do is take the first step to do something good for the society and the planet. Crime Mysteries @MDAG - films in which pursuing the truth is full of adventures, just as in a proper thriller! Among them, there is this year’s Oscar nominee “The Mole Agent” (dir. Maite Alberti). The section Life in the Time of Pandemic consists of films by young, Polish filmmakers. These titles prove that lockdown increases creativity. “Regular” people grab cameras – even the ones in their smartphones – because they want to document this peculiar reality. In this section, the film “Polish Self-Portrait” (by Maciej Białoruski, Jakub Drobczyński, Jakub Rados) deserves special attention. It shows the entire cross section of our society which had to face the virus of loneliness during the isolation. The films in the section The Different Faces of Latin America will take the audience on a distant journey. These are projects from the countries which are being talked about a lot (Chile or Venezuela) as well as the less frequently visited places like Paraguay. A portrait of a sunny continent with a complicated past and an equally complicated present emerges.
The festival programme also abounds in films by outstanding filmmakers or hits of the largest international festivals. Gianfranco Rosi returns with his “Notturno”, a striking image of the war-torn areas in the Middle East. Vitaly Mansky’s “Gorbachev. Heaven” is a visit to Mikhail Gorbachev’s residence in order to discuss the transformations in Russia since the collapse of USSR as well as the rejection and loneliness which the last leader of the Soviet Union experiences today.
At the festival many Polish films will be presented – Rafael Lewandowski’s “Herbert. Barbarian in the Garden” reveals a completely new perspective on the biography of the eminent Polish poet. Karol Pałka shows the life of mother and daughter in “Bucolic” (world première at the Locarno festival, Best Polish Film Award at the cinema part of our festival this year).
18. Millennium Docs Against Gravity is going to be a fascinating trip, not only around the world but also across many crucial subjects – from environmental protection, through politics, independent journalism, human rights, art, pop culture and family relations. Join us!
