We are already halfway through the festival. It’s hard to believe how many emotions can fit inside a movie theater. Ahead of us is another round of encounters, beautiful shots, music, and dialogues that keep echoing in our ears long after we leave the screening room. All of it stays with us far longer than the closing credits. MDAG is not just a screen and rows of seats, but above all a collective experience. We believe documentary cinema has the greatest power when we experience it together - transforming individual reflection into shared conversation and an energy that inspires us to create change.
At the Ethnographic Museum, MDAG Vision is currently underway - a unique XR experience section that uses virtual and augmented reality to let audiences cross the boundaries of traditional cinema and become active participants in the story. On May 15 and 16, you will be able to take part in the collective experience “Ancestors". This interactive journey uses AI to connect participants into virtual families, allowing them to explore possible future scenarios together. It is a unique experience that shows how the choices we make today may affect the lives of the next six generations. Registration for free spots is available here.
The official Awards Gala of the 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity is also approaching! On Thursday, May 14, we will find out which films moved the jury members the most. We begin at 7:00 PM and look forward to seeing you at the festival club Kulturalna, where a live broadcast of the event will be available. Let’s experience it together!
Izabela Artman, press office
[Alt text: A person sitting in a cinema hall covers his face with an open Millennium Docs Against Gravity festival catalogue.]
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, May 13 | 6:00 PM | Luna A
Screening: "Confessions of a Swedish Man" + Q&A with director and producer
A Swedish single father and feminist attends a conservative men's retreat in Denmark. He attempts to understand the anger of the men participating. His journey turns into a personal crisis where he questions his role as a man, a father, and his relationship with his own father. This marks the beginning of six years of immersion in the so-called "manosphere," leading him to a fundamental reflection: what happens to a man – and indeed to any human being – when the concept of masculinity is questioned? The film portrays an online space where misogyny and a sense of victimhood spread through social media.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Hampus Linder and producer Helene Granvist.
Tickets
Wednesday, May 13 | 6:00 PM | Iluzjon Stolica
Screening: "To Hold a Mountain" + Q&A with directors
In the highest parts of the Sinjajevina plateau in Montenegro, Gara and her thirteen-year-old daughter Nada return to their family pastures every year. Following the rhythm set by nature, they maintain a fragile continuity of tradition and memory. They graze animals, gather herbs, and live in closeness with the mountain they call "Mother." This order is disrupted when the government announces plans to establish a NATO-backed military training ground on the land. In the face of this threat, Gara emerges as a leader of the local community, becoming the face of resistance against the militarization of the landscape. The film tells a story of a bond with a place, female strength, and perseverance against modern forms of dominance.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić.
The film is available with Audio Description (AD) and Polish voice-over. Screenings with Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) will also be held. A full list of events and more information can be found in the "Accessibility" tab.
Contact:
SMS/Tel: +48 579 754 101
Email: julia@againstgravity.pl
Tickets
[Alt text: A frame showing a profile of a young woman in the foreground and a person riding a white horse in the background, against a vast, mountainous landscape.]
Wednesday, May 13 | 6:15 PM | KINOTEKA 1
Screening: "The Mystery Package" + Q&A with director and protagonists
For over 20 years, a mysterious package from Arendal full of gifts for the whole family has arrived at the Sandnes home in Valldal, Norway, every Christmas. Despite numerous attempts, investigations, and media interest, the sender remains unknown. This Christmas, grandchildren Edle and Brage decide to solve the mystery once and for all. Together with their father Magnus and mother Silje – a documentarian and the film's director – they set out on a detective expedition to discover who is behind this extraordinary gift. This fun family adventure quickly leads to a deeper, moving story. The first package appeared the year Magnus’s older brother, Hans Petter, died tragically. The children’s investigation uncovers family ties, the memory of loss, and the emotions that shape their lives.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen and the protagonists.
Tickets
Wednesday, May 13 | 6:15 PM
Muranów Gerard | Screening: "Benita" + Q&A with director
The film is an intimate portrait of director Benita Raphan, who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. She directed several beautiful short films exploring the relationship between mental health, innovation, and creativity. Alan Berliner patiently sifted through her personal archive – full of films, outtakes, notes, drawings, and photographs – and made a remarkable discovery that changed his perspective on Benita’s life, work, and death. Part anatomy of a suicide and part personal story of a life thrown off balance by extreme pandemic isolation, the film is a portrait of a filmmaker captured by another filmmaker, and a story about the very process of creating moving images.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Alan Berliner.
Tickets
Wednesday, May 13 | 8:30 PM | Atlantic B
THE BEST OF MDAG: Screening: "Taming the Garden" + Q&A with director
Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili is a multi-billionaire with an eccentric hobby: he collects ancient trees from various corners of the world for his garden. The film follows the fate of one such tree. The director refrains from commentary, giving a voice instead to the plants, machines, and people. She observes the entire proceeding with cool detachment, while extracting a terrifying beauty from monumental wide shots and long, contemplative takes that depict the clash between nature and man.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Salomé Jashi.
The film is presented as part of the "Cinema as Laboratory V" project, co-financed by the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.
Tickets
[Alt text: Wide aerial shot of a large green tree being transported on a barge across a calm, open sea.]
Wednesday, May 13 | 8:30 PM | KINOTEKA 3
Screening: "La belle année" + Discussion: "Forgotten_Remembered_Imagined: The Sapphic Experience"
Following her father's death, director Angelica Ruffier returns to her family home in Morières-lès-Avignon to empty it. While sorting through belongings—both material and memories—images of one of the most important relationships of her youth begin to resurface: a lonely but incredibly intense love for her history teacher, Mrs. S. As the list of tasks related to settling the past grows, so does Angelica's desire to meet her again. She seeks a way to understand the meaning of her feelings and ground them in the present. The film takes the viewer on the protagonist's emotional journey, telling a story about the power of memory, longing, and the attempt to come to terms with one's past.
The screening will be followed by the discussion: "Forgotten_Remembered_Imagined: The Sapphic Experience".
Partners: Sistrum, LESWEDNESDAYS, QueerMuzeum
Wednesday, May 13 | 8:45 PM | KINOTEKA 1
Screening: "Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest" + Q&A with director
A 32-year-old aspiring artist operates between two starkly different worlds: the alternative, chaotic, and progressive scene of the German capital, and the traditional, conservative, and orderly family life in China. Every return home forces her to redefine her identity. With lightness and self-irony, the film portrays the experience of cultural clash and speaks of migration not as a one-time gesture, but as an ongoing process.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Viv Li.
The film is presented as part of the "Cinema as Laboratory V" project, co-financed by the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation. The film is available with Audio Description (AD) and Polish voice-over. There will also be screenings with Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH), and the Q&A will be interpreted into Polish Sign Language (PJM).
Contact
SMS/Tel: +48 579 754 101
Email: julia@againstgravity.pl
Tickets
THURSDAY
Thursday, May 14 | 18:15 | Atlantic A
Screening: “Toro” + Q&A with director and producers
A tragicomic tale of two friends confronting the challenges of contemporary masculinity. Life in progressive Berlin has not brought Rocco happiness in love. He returns to his hometown of Saló on Lake Garda to see whether his childhood friend, Angelo, guided by traditional values, has achieved greater success in love. The story takes unexpected turns, creating a warm and heartfelt film about friendship. While it might seem like another reflection on toxic masculinity, loneliness, and misogyny, Angelo’s sincerity and character break stereotypes, offering a fresh perspective on male relationships.
After there screening we invite you to the Q&A with Rocco Di Mento, director of “Toro”, and producers, Friedemann Hottenbacher, Gregor Streiber and Grazian Chiscuzzu.
The film is being presented as part of the project "Cinema as a Laboratory V," co-financed by the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation.
Tickets
Thursday, May 14 | 20:00 | KINOTEKA 7
Screening: “History of Concrete” + Q&A with director
A documentary journey through the world of concrete and everyday life in New York City. Concrete – the most widely used building material in the world – becomes a starting point for humorous, unexpected, and reflective observations of life, the city, and human creativity. We accompany the director at industry conventions, travel to Rome – the cradle of ancient concrete – explore forgotten streets in the United States with old concrete surfaces, including the oldest concrete road in Ohio. We meet extraordinary individuals and unusual institutions connected to concrete: from a worker removing gum from New York sidewalks to a company preserving tattoos of deceased loved ones. Through humorous, observational shots and unexpected digressions, the film reveals the absurdity of contemporary life and social structures. Concrete – a metaphor for durability and decay – becomes a symbol of human creativity, impermanence, and the ongoing search for meaning.
After the screening we invite you to a Q&A with John Wilson, the director of “History of Concrete”.
Tickets
[Alt text: A photo of a city street; a man in a yellow T-shirt smooths freshly laid asphalt, while a man in a blue T-shirt leans on a fence and smokes a cigarette.]
Thursday, May 14 | 20:15 | KINOTEKA 1
Screening: “King Hamlet” + Q&A with director
Filmmaker Elvira Lind turns the camera on her own family while documenting her husband Oscar Isaac’s preparation for one of theater’s most demanding roles – Hamlet at New York’s Public Theater – during a pivotal period in his life. In the background, the birth of their first child and the sudden death of Isaac’s mother add emotional depth, highlighting the delicate balance between family responsibilities, artistic dedication, and personal grief. The film explores the boundary between life and art, showing how an acting role can enter into dialogue with private experiences and daily life. The camera not only follows the preparation for “Hamlet”, but also demonstrates how theater can become a tool for navigating grief, love, and transformation. The film shows that creative work and family life are not separate spheres, but intertwine to form a deeply intimate, emotional, and passionate connection. By combining rehearsal footage, intimate family moments, and subtle observations of everyday life, the film becomes a meditation on impermanence, memory, and the role of art in shaping identity – both for the artist and for the individual.
After the screening we invite you to a Q&A with Elvira Lind, the director of “King Hamlet”.
Tickets
[Alt text: Two men stand in front of a mirror surrounded by light bulbs; one has placed his hand on the other’s shoulder.]
Thursday, May 14 | 20:15 | KINOTEKA 3
Screening: “Wax & Gold” + Q&A with director
A stay at the legendary Hilton hotel in Addis Abeba and Kapuściński’s “The Emperor” serve as a point of departure for a multilayered reflection on Ethiopia’s imperial past and its fragmented present. The film intertwines personal experience with historical essay, revealing local perspectives and African contexts that shape contemporary understandings of the country. The title alludes to the Ethiopian rhetorical tradition – here, words mean more than they seem. In a world governed by a different logic of time – thirteen months in a year, a day beginning at 6 a.m., and the current year counted as 2018 – the director attempts to decode meanings hidden between history and everyday life. In the gap between systems of dates and systems of meaning, she searches for what lies beneath the surface, weaving together history, daily life, and a rhetorical tradition in which words hold both visible and hidden significance.
After the screening, there will be a meeting with Ruth Beckermann, the director of the film.
Tickets
Thursday, May 14 | 20:30 | KINOTEKA 4
Screening: “Whistleblower” + Q&A with director and protagonists
An in-depth exploration of a world where survival demands both courage and extreme caution. Three protagonists from Africa, Europe, and the United States risk their lives, careers, and their families’ safety to expose truths carefully concealed from the public. For the first time, the film presents the universal dimension of whistleblowing and the price paid by those who choose to speak out. Whistleblowers become targets of lobbyists, governments, and intelligence agencies conducting relentless campaigns of intimidation and defamation. Among the protagonists is Jean-Jacques Lumumba, the grandson of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, who faces harassment and threats while living in exile in France. Alongside him is Daniel Hale, a former NSA intelligence analyst who, during the Trump administration, faced up to ten years in prison for allegedly disclosing classified information. The film also portrays those supporting whistleblowers: Delphine Halgand-Mishra and her organization, The Signals Network, which provides them with protection and assistance, as well as Holden Triplett, the former head of counterintelligence at the White House. Journalists behind the Panama Papers investigation also play a key role, as new whistleblowers approach them with further shocking revelations. This is a story about courage, responsibility, and the fight for truth in a world where silence is often safer than speaking out.
After the screening, there will be a discussion with Marc Bauder, the film’s director, as well as the protagonists Jean-Jacques Lumumba and Delphine Halgand-Mishra.
The film is being presented as part of the project "Cinema as a Laboratory V," co-financed by the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation.
Tickets
Thursday, May 14 | 20:30 | ILUZJON Stolica
Screening: “Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self” + Q&A with director
This documentary captures the life, work, and intellectual journey of American writer Siri Hustvedt – one of the most significant contemporary voices in literature and the humanities. The film traces Hustvedt from her early years, when the young, curious author left the calm of Minnesota and entered the bustling world of New York, searching for the protagonist of her first novel. This journey shapes her unique literary voice, which blends reflections on language, identity, the body, and feminism. The film presents not only Hustvedt’s creative process but also her relationships with other artists who boldly pursue their visions, as well as her deep bond with her husband, writer Paul Auster – her life partner and intellectual companion, whose illness and passing are woven into this story of love, loss, and memory. The film goes beyond a standard portrait of a writer, offering a story of feminist perspectives, the power of thought, ceaseless curiosity, and how literary imagination intertwines with life.
After the screening, there will be a discussion with Sabine Lidl, the director of the film.
The film is being presented as part of the project "Cinema as a Laboratory V," co-financed by the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation.
Tickets
Thursday, May 14 | 20:45 | ATLANTIC A
Screening: “Flying Scents - Of Plants & People” + Q&A with director
A cinematic journey into the world of invisible scents and chemical signals that shape plant life. In Zurich, a research team led by renowned neurobiologist and chemist Consuelo De Moraes is on the verge of discovering florigen – the legendary substance responsible for the instant flowering of plants, sought by scientists worldwide for decades. The film reveals that plants are far from passive organisms: they communicate with each other and with insects through volatile scent compounds. Writer and researcher Florianne Koechlin uncovers a surprising “language” of scents through which plants warn one another of danger or precisely attract pollinators. The artist duo Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger create immersive installations that challenge the boundaries between nature and artificiality, translating complex biological processes into the language of contemporary art. Visually striking, the film reveals an unseen layer of reality and becomes a reflection on the relationship between humans and nature in the age of climate change. It raises an ethical question: how will these discoveries affect fragile ecosystems, and can humanity apply them without harming the shared world of plants, animals, and people?
After the screening, there will be a discussion with Antshi von Moos, the director of the film.
