Emigration
17 films
Ai Weiwei's Turandot
dir. Maxim Derevianko
dok2025
When a world-renowned artist and activist embarks upon the project of staging a classic opera, there is no doubt that it will be a revolutionary interpretation. By addressing the refugee crisis or the war in Ukraine, Ai Weiwei once again proves to be an artist who believes that art can influence reality.
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Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
dir. Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee
dok2024
‘I was born but I never lived,’ says an African American R&B singer, who went into exile from the US to Canada in the late 1950s because of transphobia and racism. Using phone calls made just before Jackie Shane’s death, the filmmakers tell the story of her life in hiding and her coming out.
Read moreAwards:Golden Heynal
Child of Dust (Dziecko z pyłu)
dir. Weronika Mliczewska
dok2025
Sang was one of hundreds of thousands of children sired by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Today, he would like to meet his biological father. The trip to the US means a lot to him, but when he meets his new family, nothing is as he expected.
Read moreAwards:Golden Hobby-Horse / Golden Horn / Special Award
Fatmé
dir. Diala Al Hindaoui
dok2023
Fatmé, an 11-year-old from Lebanon, lives with her family in a tent by a village road. Her appearance and prowess arouse curiosity and questions about who she really is. When her mother wonders if she is a girl or boy, Fatmé replies with a smile, ‘I want to be the strongest!’. 12+
Read moreFear (Strach)
dir. Robert Zawadzki
fab2025
Jola lives in Podlasie, close to the border with Belarus. Her son Marek works in the Border Guard combing the forests in search of immigrants illegally crossing the border. Jola is a taxi driver and wants to stay out of it, but one day, when her car breaks down, she is forced to confront her own convictions.
Read moreInga
dir. Krzysztof Kopczyński
dok2025
On Inga’s fifth birthday, 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Almost 6 million people left the country, including 2 million children. Together with her blind parents, five cats and a dog, Inga moved to Dedala Street in Warsaw. In the shadow of the conflict, experiencing the pain of losing her home, the girl becomes the family’s guide to their new reality.
Read moreKyiv Soloists (Solistene)
dir. Trond Kvig Andreassen
dok2025
When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, musicians from the Kyiv Orchestra had just set off on a tour of Italy. They became refugees overnight but did not stop performing. Each of the protagonists must now redefine his or her role as an artist and citizen.
Read moreLetters from Wolf Street (Listy z Wilczej)
dir. Arjun Talwar
dok2025
A street in downtown Warsaw. An Indian immigrant filmmaker seeks to overcome the boundaries between himself and an anxiety-ridden country. He uncovers hidden stories, and shared longing, revealing a kaleidoscopic portrait of Polish society.
Read moreLook Homeward (Spójrz na dom swój)
dir. Artem Rachkelyuk
fab2025
When the war broke out in Ukraine, the parents sent Vlad and his sister to Poland to ensure their safety. They themselves remained in the conflict-torn country. Vlad is expected to look after his younger sister, but his thoughts constantly flee to his homeland and especially to his father, who has been called up to the army.
Read moreAwards:Golden Dragon / Golden Hobby-Horse
Motherland
dir. Gor Arushanyan
fab2025
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is collapsing. In a deserted mountain village, shots and explosions are audible, along with dark smoke, which can be seen. Almost all the inhabitants have already fled, except for Aram. He is trying to save his disabled mother, who refuses to leave. The Azerbaijani army is close and the time to make a decision is shrinking.
Read moreQaher
dir. Nada Khalifa
fab2025
‘Where is better? Here or there?’, are asking the people Jason meets when after many years he goes back to Palestine as a Canadian citizen. He tries to get to his native village, but the last mile will turn out to be most difficult part of the journey. It will make the protagonist aware of the power of eponymous quaher.
Read moreTata
dir. Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc
dok2024
In this film, the global problem of invisible slavery meets a family story of violence. When a Moldovan journalist learns that her father, who works in Italy, is being abused and beaten by his employer, she arrives on the scene and tries to record the abuse using a hidden camera.
Read moreAwards:Silver Horn
The Big Chief (Wielki szef)
dir. Tomasz Wolski
dok2025
He worked for the Soviet intelligence, faked his collaboration with the Gestapo and had to explain himself for it for the rest of his life. In Poland, in 1968, he was put under house arrest as a victim of the anti-Semitic campaign. Employing archival footage in a creative way, the film reveals the remarkable biography of Leopold Trepper.
Read moreThe last people (Die letzten Menschen)
dir. Nicolas Pindeus
fab2025
A sleepy town in the Austrian countryside. Lenz works in a kitchen and Carina is a waitress. Lenz likes Carina, but she is dating Fabian, who has a car and a hot temper. The young people kill the small-town boredom by going out to a local bar on Fridays. One such outing will have serious consequences.
Read moreThe Town That Drove Away (Miasto, które wyjechało)
dir. Natalia Pietsch, Grzegorz Piekarski
dok2025
The Turkish town of Hasankeyf lies on the Tigris River and has an ancient history. The construction of a huge dam, which began in 2006, has led to its submersion and the displacement of thousands of people. Following the two protagonists, we watch the destruction of the city and the accompanying socioeconomic transformation process.
Read moreThe True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival
dir. Julie Rubio
dok2024
Today, her paintings are experiencing a worldwide renaissance and remain an inspiration for artists in various fields. And the biography of the Warsaw-born artist is not less fascinating than the paintings themselves. The film pays tribute to Lempicka, who courageously crossed the boundaries set for women in art.
Read moreZlata
dir. Mattias Bavré
dok2023
Zlata is 12 years old. After Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine, she flees with her family to Belgium. She finds it difficult to find herself in a new place, which is made worse by her intense longing for her father, who stayed behind to fight. This simple, moving film about growing up is a reminder that adult conflicts also affect younger people. 12+
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