Millennium Docs Against Gravity is not just world-class documentary cinema! An inseparable part of the festival is its colorful and diverse program of accompanying events, featuring moving concerts, DJ sets, parties, and screenings with live music. What will MDAG sound like this year? The inspiration for all the musical events at the festival comes, of course, from the films featured in the program.
MAY 9: Move Ya Body: The Birth of House Party
9.05, 11:00 PM, Kulturalna & barStudio, Free Entry
This event accompanies the film "Move Ya Body: The Birth of House". It will be a true journey through the history of house music, from its underground beginnings on the South Side of Chicago to becoming a global phenomenon. We will gather to celebrate the evolution of this genre, born out of a need for freedom, joy, and creativity.
Performing for us will be Cougar, whose sets blend house, disco, and UK garage with electro and 90s/00s inspirations. Her style features energetic synthesizers, catchy melodies, and ecstatic vintage vocals. Holiday 80, is a Warsaw duo consisting of DJ Bert and Grzegorz Lipiński, who know everything about disco... but they also understand where italo meets Bollywood, and acid house blends with... everything in between. NuCasa is one of the leading figures of the Polish electronic music scene. Michał grew up surrounded by hip-hop culture, and this still resonates in his groove-filled sets.
MAY 10: Acoustic Concert by Stefan Wesołowski
10.05, 11:00 PM, Kulturalna, Free Entry
Stefan Wesołowski will present a unique acoustic concert, showcase a cross-section of his film and solo works. Accompanied by Anna Pasić (harp) and Oliwier Andruszczenko (bass clarinet), the performance will create a subtle, organic sound based on the dialogue of classical instruments and acoustic space. This personal presentation of the composer’s work invites the audience to listen attentively and immerse themselves in cinematic melancholy. The program will include themes from the album "Komplety", which inspired the film "Kompleta" by Tomasz Śliwiński and Magda Hueckel, presented at this year’s festival!
MAY 13: "Silent Observers" Screening with Live Improvised Music
13.05, 8:00 PM, Kino Iluzjon, Tickets 30 PLN (on sale from April 17th)
During the screening of "Silent Observers" we will dive into the world of a small Bulgarian village! The composers of the film’s music – Anil Eraslan, Jung Jae-Kim, and Shingo Masuda – will perform live, improvising music and creating a unique connection between sound and image. Each animal protagonist in the film has its own musical identity, and the musicians, who originally created the soundtrack through improvisation, will now recreate that experience live, allowing the sounds to evolve organically with each scene.
MAY 15: Afterparty with Deaf Can Dance!
15.05, 10:30 PM, Kulturalna, Free Entry
After the festival's awards ceremony, Kulturalna will come alive with electronic sounds, perfect for dancing and celebrating! Deaf Can Dance, despite being born with significant hearing loss, has been DJing for nearly 20 years. From a young age, he immersed himself in sound, perceiving it differently from others. Deaf Can Dance filters electronic music styles through his unique sensitivity and craftsmanship, creating a surprising, sensual, and incredibly danceable sound, regardless of tempo.
MAY 16: "Women Play Ukraine" party
16.05, 11:00 PM, Kulturalna, Free Entry
We cannot forget about Ukraine, so in addition to Ukrainian films in the program, we are organizing an event where Ukrainian DJs will play to show strength, feel energy, and support Ukraine through music. That evening, the lineup includes Anna Borsuk, who doesn't limit herself to one specific sound but instead conveys the unique charm of the Ukrainian underground scene across various genres. Richie Beige is inspired by dark, synthetic atmospheres and 90s sounds. With a unique style, Richie blends raw, hypnotic techno with a touch of trance, and sometimes electro and other unclassifiable genres. Zoi Michailova, a composer of exhibitions, performances, and choreography, often starts with voice, samples, and beats in her electronics, describing her work with words like "alienation" and "ethereality."
MAY 17: Love Silent Disco
17.05, 11:00 PM, Kulturalna, Headphone Rental Cost: 30 PLN
You can't have MDAG without a silent disco! This year, we invite you to a love-themed party, inspired by the film "Come See Me in the Good Light". In an extraordinarily poetic way, with silence of the headphones, we will embark on a journey into the world of music and love.
MAY 18: Pogodno-BabuKról-Chango are playing Budyń
18.05, 8:00 PM, Plac Zabaw nad Wisłą, Free Entry
On the final day of the festival, in the picturesque setting of Plac Zabaw by the Vistula River, we will celebrate the memory of Jacek "Budyń" Szymkiewicz – an extraordinarily talented artist, musician, and lyricist who passed away in 2022. The closing event will feature performances by the bands and groups with whom "Budyń" was associated over the years, including one of the most iconic Polish alternative bands – "Pogodno". We also invite you to the screening of "At least At last", a film about this exceptional artist.
The 22nd MDAG will take place from May 9 to 18, 2025, in cinemas in Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, and Łódź, and from May 20 to June 2 online at mdag.pl! The festival’s title sponsor is Bank Millennium. (https://www.bankmillennium.pl/).
