EXCLUSIVE: Docaviv, the prestigious all-documentary film festival in Tel Aviv, today announced the International Competition lineup for the 25th anniversary of the event, which takes place May 11-20.
In competition are some of the early favorites for Oscar recognition, including Apolonia, Apolonia, winner of Best Feature at IDFA; 20 Days in Mariupol, the harrowing examination of the siege of the Ukrainian port city in the early days of the Russian invasion; Kokomo City, winner of two awards at Sundance, and The Eternal Memory, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance [scroll for the full International Competition lineup].
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Docaviv is an Oscar-qualifying festival, with winners in the International, Israeli, and Shorts competitions automatically becoming eligible for Academy Awards consideration. It is the only all-documentary festival in Israel and widely considered one of the world’s foremost nonfiction film events.
Some of the expected international guests include Emmy-winning documentary producer John Battsek, who will hold a masterclass and attend a special screening of Searching for Sugar Man (2012), which he executive produced, and Amanda Kim, director of Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV, which is screening in International Competition.
Among additional highlights:
- This year’s Music program includes Love to Love You, Donna Summer by Roger Ross Williams and Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano; Joan Baez I Am A Noise by Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle; Little Richard: I Am Everything by Lisa Cortés; and Personality Crisis: One Night Only in which Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi turn their camera on musician and actor David Johansen.
- The Beyond the Screen Competition, presented in memory of Docaviv founder Ilana Tsur, features films whose directors or subjects work to change our social, ecological, and political reality. They include Is There Anybody Out There? by Ella Bee Glendining, whose disability may at times make it difficult to walk, but never stops her from dancing; Bobi Wine: The People’s President by Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo about the Ugandan ghetto-pop-star-turned-politician; and Free Money by Lauren DeFilippo and Sam Soko about the launch of a universal basic income project in Kenya.
- In its Panorama section, Docaviv presents films including Subject by Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, in which people who starred in documentary films and series talk about what happened after millions of people had seen their most intimate moments; AUM: The Cult At The End Of The World by Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto about the Japanese cult that amassed weapons in preparation for doomsday; Valerie Kontakos’ Queen of the Deuce about Chelly Wilson, the Jewish woman who built an empire of porn cinemas in New York; Patrick and the Whale by Mark Fletcher; Alex Holmes’ The Last Rider about cyclist Greg LeMond; and The Klezmer Project by Leandro Koch and Paloma Schachmann, a romantic, musical, and witty exploration of the historical, political, and social role of language, culture, and music.
- This year’s Masters section includes: Julie Bertuccelli’s Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman; Steve James’ A Compassionate Spy; Luca Guadagnino’s Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams; Sébastien Lifshitz’ Casa Susanna; Mark Cousins’ My Name is Alfred Hitchcock; and Mila Turajlić’s Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels.
Below is the lineup for International Competition, “bold, important, and extraordinary documentaries from around the world, carefully selected from this year’s releases.
20 Days in Mariupol [dir. Mstyslav Chernov]
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the last remaining camera crew in Mariupol captured the events from the very heart of the war zone. More than an incredibly personal firsthand account, this film showcases the determined journalistic work of those who were the world’s only source of information about the besieged city.
‘Apolonia, Apolonia’
Courtesy of Docaviv
Apolonia, Apolonia [dir. Lea Glob]
Apolonia was born to bohemian parents and grew up in an underground Parisian theater. Filmmaker Lea Glob followed this young and incredibly charismatic artist for 13 years and was able to document her artistic and political growth thanks to their deep friendship. The film won the international competition at IDFA.
The Castle [dir. Martín Benchimol]
When her wealthy mistress passed away, Justina inherited the castle she had been cleaning and scrubbing since age five. Except the castle is crumbling, and she cannot afford the repairs. Slowly, she begins to contemplate saying goodbye to her vast, beautiful, and strange home—the only home she knows.
Paulina Urrutia Fernández with her husband, Augusto Góngora in ‘The Eternal Memory’
Courtesy of Micromundo/Fabula
The Eternal Memory [dir. Maite Alberdi]
Augusto Góngora, one of Chile’s top political commentators, dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the atrocities committed by Pinochet’s regime. Remarkably, with Alzheimer’s disease slowly erasing his memory and personality, a new kind of intimacy emerges between him and his wife—one marked by tenderness and compassion.
Future Brilliant [dir. Abílio Dias]
Gisele dreams of becoming an English teacher and finding love—someone who will understand and support her. The young tetraplegic, the filmmaker’s sister, is determined to succeed even in the face of hesitance from those around her. This beautiful film captures the quiet tenderness found even in the hardest moments.
Iron Butterflies [dir. Roman Liubyi]
In summer 2014, sunflower fields and coal mines in eastern Ukraine turned into a crime scene by downing the Malaysian passenger jet MH17 over eastern Ukraine. A meticulous, investigative exposé that lays bare the mechanisms of Russian warfare.
Kokomo City [D. Smith]
Four Black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves while confronting issues long avoided.
‘Matter Out of Place’
Courtesy of Docaviv
Matter Out of Place [dir. Nikolaus Geyrhalter]
Award-winning filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter (Our Daily Bread, Homo Sapiens) follows the vast amounts of waste humans generate, and our desperate attempts to deal with it. The striking cinematography and clever sound design result in an unsettling film steeped in a mesmerizing, alluring aesthetic.
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV [dir. Amanda Kim]
More than an artist, Nam June Paik, the father of video art, was a prophet, and this subversive art and technological vision are now more relevant than ever. The film shows the life and art of a man who had no qualms about approaching sacred cows—or indeed skewering them.
Paradise [dir. Alexander Abaturov]
Northeastern Siberia is on fire. The government has left them to fend for themselves, and the inhabitants of Shologon must rally to fight The Dragon.
Theatre of Violence [dirs. Lukasz Konopa, Emil Langbelle
At the age of 9, Dominic Ongwen is abducted by the Ugandan LRA, who train him to be a child soldier and place him in a commanding role. Years later, he now faces the International Criminal Court (ICC), but should he be judged for his actions, or is he himself a victim?
