The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival opens this Friday, October 23, in the Czech Republic, celebrating its 30th edition through November 1. The program features more than 350 films, including 106 world premieres, 28 international premieres and eight European premieres. The festival will host international competitions, retrospectives, discussions on politics and society, industry events and a surprise screening to mark the anniversary.
The opening film will be Return to a Strange Land, by Czech filmmaker Olga Malířová Špátová, which will have its European premiere at the festival. The documentary follows choreographer Jiří Kylián and dancer Sabine Kupferberg, artistic collaborators for more than five decades, in a reflection on creativity, aging, memory and the passage of time. Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase created this year’s festival trailer, conceived as an appeal against war and in favor of peace.
One of the main highlights will be the recognition of two major figures in documentary cinema: Czech filmmaker Helena Třeštíková and Vietnamese-American filmmaker, writer and theorist Trinh T. Minh-ha, who will be honored with a retrospective. The program will include key works from her filmography, such as Reassemblage (1982), filmed in Senegal, and Surname Viet Given Name Nam (1989), both of which challenge documentary conventions and established ways of representing other cultures and identities.
The competitions will bring together films from different countries, exploring issues such as the consequences of war, cultural identities, memory and social change. Opus Bonum will present 14 films, while Testimonies will feature 15 titles focusing on personal and collective experiences. The experimental section Fascinations will showcase 24 films from 21 countries, exploring the possibilities of archival footage, animation, photography and digital tools.
Another highlight will be NAZA, the investigative documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film examines Israeli military practices linked to the killing of Palestinian civilians through testimonies from 24 current and former members of the Israeli armed forces. The festival is also preparing a surprise screening in collaboration with distributor Aerofilms, with the title to remain secret until the event.
The program will also include the Inspiration Forum, a series of discussions on politics, democracy and society featuring guests such as philosopher Lea Ypi, climate researcher Matt Winning, and political theorists Camila Vergara and Samuel Bagg. Archaeologist David Wengrow will also take part in the discussions, which will be open to audiences without festival accreditation. On the industry side, Ji.hlava New Visions Forum will present 29 projects from Europe, the United States, and East and Southeast Asia to producers, programmers and other industry professionals.
Over ten days, the anniversary edition will bring together premieres, retrospectives, experimental cinema and professional events. Since its first edition, the festival has screened 6,388 films for approximately 940,000 spectators and enters its 30th year aiming to surpass one million cumulative attendees.