Introduction to DOK Co-Pro Market
The 21st edition of the DOK Co-Pro Market is set to take place from October 27 to 28, featuring 35 exciting projects from around the world. This year’s selection includes documentary films from renowned directors such as Ukrainian Roman Bondarchuk, Israel’s Gal Rosenbluth, and Germany’s Julia Fuhr Mann.
Featured Projects
Bondarchuk’s project, "Recreation," explores the reconstruction of Ukraine in the face of current Russian attacks. This powerful documentary was first presented at the East Doc Forum in March. Rosenbluth’s "It’s What It Is" reveals the hidden past of her late grandmother, one of the 3,000 "mixed" Israeli-Palestinian couples in the early years of Israel. Mann’s "Cheers on Our Beautiful Life" is a hybrid documentary that follows the journey of four women on a road trip as they shed their family baggage and normative roles.
Women in Film
Women directors make up 60% of this year’s selection, with new projects from filmmakers such as Ana Vijdea, Pary El-Qalqili, Zhanana Kurmasheva, Basma Alsharif, and co-directors Martyna Wróbel and Anna Biernacik. Their projects tackle a range of social and political issues, from resistance cycles in Georgia to the search for hidden Armenian treasure in Turkey.
Social and Political Issues
Several projects address pressing social and political issues. Nino Benashvili’s "The Unmowed Trees" examines the resistance cycles in her home country of Georgia, while Jeanne Nouchi’s "Anatolia" follows a Turkish farmer searching for hidden Armenian treasure. These films offer unique perspectives on the world we live in and the challenges we face.
Animated Documentary Films
This year’s selection also includes a number of animated documentary film projects, such as Patricio Plaza’s "Black Diaries" and Elsa Perry’s "Summer from ’46." These innovative films use animation to tell powerful and moving stories that might not be possible to tell through traditional documentary filmmaking.
Record Number of Entries
The DOK Co-Pro Market received a record number of 391 entries this year, demonstrating the drive and urgency of documentary filmmakers to tell important stories. Nadja Tennstedt, director of the DOK industry, noted that the selection process was challenging due to the high quality of the projects submitted.
Selection Criteria
Tennstedt explained that the selection committee chose projects that were courageous, uncompromising, and had great potential for successful international co-productions. The committee looked for projects that touched their artistic vision and tackled timely and important topics.
Complete Line-Up
The complete line-up of projects selected for the DOK Co-Pro Market includes:
- "The 13th Fish" by The Lord Phooct
- "Akal" by Iron Basma Rkioui
- "Anatolia" by Jean Nouchi
- "Anything But Love" by Zijian Zeng
- "Between Three Waters" by Olivia Yao
- "The Birth of Derna" by Hussein Eddeb
- "Black Diaries" by Patricio Plaza
- "Brigitte, for Example" by Jan Eilhardt
- "Cheers on Our Beautiful Life" by Julia Fuhr Mann
- "The Chef Suffragette" by Magdalena Szymków
- "Dylan McKay" by Ana Lungu
- "Issue 96" by Ahmad Naboulsi
- "Fossil Matter" by Tiziana Panice
- "Gongon" by Ceuninck Yuri Carlo
- "It Is Called Fields" by Anna Biernacik and Martyna Wróbel
- "In the Transition" by Ole Jacobs
- "It Is What It Is" by Gal Rosenbluth
- "The Measure of Love" by Mauricio Campfaro
- "My Aunts" by Hazal Hanquet
- "The Mother Ship" by Ana Vijdea
- "No Way to Panjal" by Syadrinh Ruk
- "Unmowed by the Trees" by Nino Benashvili
- "Old Rocks" by Nicola Pietromarchi
- "Recreation" by Roman Bondarchuk and Vadym Ilkov
- "See You Soon" by Martina Mahlknecht and Martin Prinoth
- "Sension and Sensitivity" by Hanna Nordenswan
- "Sisters" by Tereza Bernátková
- "Speak, Speak, Picture" by Pary El-Qalqili
- "The Story of My Shirt" by Zhanana Kurmasheva
- "Consequence" by Yi Chen
- "Summer from ’46" by Elsa Perry
- "This Soul Steals Device" by Giuliano Franco Ochipinti
- "Cross a River" by Jin Jianang
- "Welcome to Our Bathhouse" by Tommaso Baretta and Setsuya Kakinuma
- "Youth" by Daria Zhuravel
These projects showcase the diversity and creativity of documentary filmmaking today, and the DOK Co-Pro Market is an exciting opportunity for filmmakers to connect with industry professionals and bring their projects to life.
