The previously announced awards of the 40th DOK.fest München can be found below. Alongside more information about the awards, which were announced at yesterday’s awards ceremony in the Amerikahaus:
From the perspective of six animals, we observe the inhabitants of a remote Bulgarian mountain village. With charm and curiosity, they move through the everyday lives of the people around them. At the same time, this experimental and musically powerful film reflects on the question: what value do animals actually hold for us?
From the jury’s statement:“In a thrilling creative approach, we look at animals looking at people, and the animals look back at us through the screen. Every detail felt planned meticulously to us, including a bold experimental and unsettling soundtrack and we immerse ourselves in epic mountain visuals, the minutiae of neighbours’ disagreements, and the details of fur, four legs, and deep unreadable eyes. The filmmaker’s respect for local tradition is clear, and we were impressed by the collaborative and loving relationship she clearly had with her protagonists, and her questioning of human wisdom and supremacy. Ultimately, the multilayered metaphor of the silent observers invites us to venture into uncharted territories – reimagining the human experience as an expansive web of creative possibilities.“
The jury gave an special mention to THE INVISIBLE CONTRACT by Luciana Kaplan, a sensitive social portrait of women working in the cleaning sector in Mexico City.
The Jury: Leonard Cortana (Inclusion Program and Strategic Partnerships Manager at EURODOC & PhD Candidate in Cinema Studies at NYU), Aleksandra Derewienko (Head of Sales, CAT&Docs), and Charlie Phillips (Producer, I Am Charlie Ltd and Head of Stories, Lyfta)
The VIKTORIA DOK.international main award is endowed with 10,000 euros. The award is sponsored by Bayerischer Rundfunk. The nominees were films that covered a wide range of subjects and styles and were characterised by their high artistic quality.
The organic farming pioneers Stephanie and Ruedi (c) DOK.fest München
The parents are Swiss organic farming pioneers who emigrated to an isolated farm in France. Now they are getting old and want to leave their estate to their son. He finds inheritance morally questionable and films the process of deciding the farm’s future.
From the jury’s statement:“To inherit means to grapple with death, with memories, with responsibility and obligations. The protagonists speak openly and the perspective shifts to those who will leave an inheritance. What remains of a life? What does one wish to leave behind? With a coherent dramaturgy that draws on extensive archival material from his parents, Baumann simultaneously highlights generational differences and traces how lives and life plans have changed since the boomer generation were young. While his parents built houses as a matter of course, hardly anyone today can afford to do so – unless they inherit.“
The Jury: Hamado Dipama (Advisor to the Working Group of Bavarian Advisory Councils for Foreigners, Migrants and Integration (AGABY) for anti-racism and anti-discrimination work in Bavaria), Katja Kraft (Cultural Editor at Münchner Merkur and tz), and Jaie Laplante (Artistic Director of DOC NYC)
The VIKTORIA DOK.deutsch award is endowed with 7,500 euros. The award is sponsored by Sky. The competition showcased films dealing with people and topics in German-speaking countries.
Rashid (2nd from left) and his friends (c) DOK.fest München
As a child, Rashid survived imprisonment by IS; as a teenager, he now faces a dilemma: to stay and fight for a future in Sinjar or to leave his home, family, and friends behind? Amid insecurity and new threats, he is trying to find his path. A film about family, friendship, and the longing for a better life.
From the jury’s statement:“Filmmaker Jasna Krajinovic follows Rashid’s attempts to rebuild his life in the ruined city as his family searches for safety and stability. The film subtly incorporates ever-present danger throughout and, in one disturbing moment, we witness how past trauma continues to haunt the present. There’s remarkable empathy for the subjects while respecting their boundaries. During difficult scenes, the camera maintains proximity without intrusion. With stunning cinematography and nuanced storytelling, this fantastic, deeply moving film engages a wide audience while bringing renewed attention to a persecuted people’s plight. It leaves a lasting emotional impression and opens a space for viewers to reflect on parallels with other oppressed and threatened communities worldwide.“
The Jury: Florian Schewe (Producer, Film Five GmbH), Susanne Mertens (Editor, ZDF/ARTE Current Affairs), and Julian Etienne (Climate Story Fund Officer at Doc Society)
The VIKTORIA DOK.horizonte Competition – Cinema of Urgency award is sponsored by the Petra Kelly Foundation and is endowed with 5,000 euros. The nominees were films that focus on countries with unstable structures.
RASHID, L’ENFANT DE SINJAR will also be honoured with a second award at DOK.fest München: the DOK.fest Award of SOS Kinderdörfer weltweit (see below).
Protagonist Mara and filmmaker Klara have been friends for many years. While they are planning Mara’s first dance performance since she became a mother, she becomes pregnant again. Klara explores with her what is possible. But the birth of her second child leaves Mara very little space for creativity. Intimate and honest, a poignant film about trying not to lose yourself as a mother.
From the jury’s statement:“In a society that often renders mothers and their experiences invisible while placing high expectations on them, the film speaks honestly about feelings of guilt and inadequacy, and the fact that mothers do not always love their role. The director is there for her friend when her parental duties become overwhelming. She illustrates the isolation that can exist even within a functioning relationship, contrasting it with a strong female friendship. In doing so, she critically examines her own role as an author and questions how much she herself projects capitalist-patriarchal expectations of functioning mothers onto her friend Mara. Rather than presenting flawless images, the film focuses on the creative process of the two friends and explores how a mother can remain true to herself when her body is used, inhabited, and appropriated by others.“
The Jury: Annina Lehmann (University of Westminster), Patrick Wira (Zurich University of the Arts), and Lou von Sohlern (University of Television and Film Munich)
The Student Award is sponsored by megaherz and is endowed with 3,000 euros. Outstanding documentary films by students from German-language film schools and academies have been nominated.
Awards already announced
These awards were already announced at the 40th DOK.fest München:
kinokino Audience Award – sponsored by BR and 3sat: WRITING HAWA / Najiba Noori and Rasul Noori
German Documentary Film Music Award: VRACHT / Mirjam Skal, Director: Max Carlo Kohal
VFF Documentary Film Production Award: A NEARLY NORMAL LIFE (DAS FAST NORMALE LEBEN) / Ulla Lehmann and Andrea Roggon, Director: Stefan Sick
The DOK.fest Award of SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit will be presented to the winner Jasna Krajinovic at an award ceremony today, Sunday 18 May, at 6 pm at the Amerikahaus. The winning film, RASHID, L’ENFANT DE SINJAR, will be shown afterwards.
The winning films of the 40th DOK.fest München can be seen today, Sunday, in cinemas in Munich in the BEST DOKS section. The festival closes in cinemas on tonight. Most of the films are still available to watch online until 25 May at dokfest-muenchen.de.
