The celebration of cinema continues!
The 23rd Millennium Docs Against Gravity Awards Gala is tonight! The jury will finally reveal which productions made their hearts beat faster. If you’ve ever worked in film production, you probably know just how grueling the process can be. If not, just think about the countless hours of shooting and editing, then multiply that by the efforts of those securing funding and everyone spending long weeks away from home hauling equipment. That leaves very little time to rest. The festival is, therefore, a time for filmmakers to celebrate – which is exactly what will happen today.
The Awards Gala will take place at the Dramatyczny Theatre at 7:00 PM. The event is invitation-only, but it will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel, on mdag.pl, and on Facebook. You can also join us at our festival club, Kulturalna, where we’ll be broadcasting the ceremony live on a big screen.
Piotr Aleksandrow
23rd MDAG Press Office
[Alt text: A woman lies limply on a couch, and a man next to her on the stone floor, legs raised high beneath a row of movie posters. Their poses suggest extreme exhaustion after a festival marathon in the cinema lobby.]
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.
Tickets
FRIDAY
Friday, May 15 | 6:00 PM | KINOTEKA 2
Screening of "House of Hope" + Q&A with the director
Are optimism and hope in times of occupation an act of courage or a form of resistance? In the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of al-Eizariya, a Waldorf primary school called the House of Hope teaches children about tolerance and peace, showing them that violence is a dead end, no matter how difficult the circumstances. Founded by a Palestinian woman, Manar, and her husband, Milad, the school’s daily routine is deeply intertwined with the harsh political reality outside its walls. The children sing songs of peace and tolerance, yet simultaneously draw tanks and soldiers or talk about family members who have been arrested. Amidst a rising tide of violence and oppression, the school demonstrates that education is not merely about acquiring knowledge – it is a powerful form of resistance.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Marjolein Busstra.
Tickets
[Alt text: A group of children sitting in a circle on the floor, drawing on white sheets of paper under the supervision of an adult man in a cozy room.]
Friday, May 15 | 8:30 PM | KINOTEKA 3
Screening of "Artists in Residence" + Q&A with director Katie Jacobs
In 1959, three New York artists – Lois Dodd, Eleanor Magid, and Louise Kruger – pooled their resources to buy a three-story building on East 2nd Street, carving out a permanent sanctuary for their life and work. Long before the neighborhood became a legendary bohemian hub, these women built an independent community where they could pursue their art free from financial strain and societal expectations. The film explores the strength of their creative vision and the personal sacrifices such a radical choice required.
While Dodd painted, Magid focused on graphic arts, and Kruger sculpted, they also acted as cornerstones of their local community – running a gallery, teaching, and transforming their home into a vital meeting point for the city's artistic avant-garde.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Katie Jacobs.
Tickets
Friday, May 15 | 8:45 PM | KINOTEKA 2
Screening of "Better Go Mad in the Wild" + Q&A with director Miro Remo
Is it possible to spend your entire life in just one place? Twins Franta and Ondra spend their days tending to their chickens and cows – bickering, smoking joints, sleeping under the open sky, and sharing a singular philosophy of life. This is a lyrical tale about what remains when the ties that bind us begin to fray. While Franta longs for freedom and change, Ondra clings to the stability they’ve built together. Their mirrored existence starts to crack – same faces, yet vastly different desires. Set against the quiet embrace of nature, a fragile drama of separation, reconciliation, and perhaps a final reunion unfolds. The film is based on the book by Aleš Palán and Jan Šibík.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Miro Remo.
Tickets
Friday, May 15 | 8:30 PM | Cinema Muranów (Gerard Hall)
Screening of "Supernatural" + Q&A with the director
André Malby – a charismatic shaman, spiritual healer, womanizer, and hedonist – was believed by many to possess supernatural powers. His son, Mathurin "Mathu" Malby, a medical doctor who chose a life of rationality and family stability, shares none of his father's convictions. In fact, he has shaped his entire existence to be his father’s polar opposite.
This carefully constructed balance begins to unravel when Anna, a famous Spanish actress and devoted follower of Malby, convinces Mathu that André saved her life through telepathy. This encounter forces Mathu to confront his father's legacy, deep-seated family trauma, and his own worldview, pulling him into a dialogue where faith, magic, and science collide. Filmed over several years, the movie transcends traditional documentary boundaries, shifting between detached observation and intimate participation. It poses a fundamental question: how far are we willing to go to believe in the invisible, and where exactly is the line between reality and faith?
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Ventura Durall.
Tickets
Friday, May 15 | 6:00 PM | Cinema Atlantic (Hall A)
Screening of "Collapse" + Q&A with director Anat Even
Director Anat Even looks into the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, capturing its devastating impact following the events of October 7, 2023. Shortly after the tragedy, she returns to Kibbutz Nir Oz – her childhood home – which was left in total ruin. Over the course of two years, she films the charred remains and the war-ravaged landscape, all while the destruction of the Gaza Strip unfolds just beyond the fence.
The film captures more than just physical devastation; it reveals the emotional scars of violence – anger, grief, dehumanization, and a profound sense of helplessness. By weaving together archival footage and witness testimonies, Even explores the complex ties between Israel and Gaza, touching on themes of identity, memory, and responsibility. It is a critical and deeply reflective portrait of war and its effect on the human soul, refusing to turn away from difficult questions or the visceral imagery of the ongoing conflict.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Anat Even.
Tickets
[Alt text: A green tractor with a trailer works in a field while in the distance a tall column of black smoke rises above the city skyline.]
Friday, May 15 | 8:15 PM | Cinema Atlantic (Hall A)
Screening of "My Word Against Mine" + Q&A with Dirk Corstens
One in ten people hears voices. This film profiles five individuals living with this experience – some hearing just one voice, others as many as nineteen. Some voices act as protectors, while others seek to harm. Off-camera, a psychiatrist engages them in deep conversations: Who are these people, and what do their voices truly want?
We witness a revolutionary therapeutic approach that allows patients to find acceptance for their internal reality. This journey isn't easy; over several sessions, the film reveals the profound traumas directly linked to the voices' emergence. Above all, the documentary paints a fascinating group portrait of both the participants and their voices, offering a rare glimpse into the extraordinary landscape of the human mind.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film’s subject, Dirk Corstens.
