The 8th ZagrebDox Opens with 'Dolphin Boy'!

26.02.2012.

The 8th ZagrebDox was opened in Kaptol Centar's Movieplex tonight! After the opening ceremony, Israeli film 'Dolphin Boy' by Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin was simultaneously shown in four auditoriums.

The 8th ZagrebDox was opened in Kaptol Centar's Movieplex tonight! After the opening ceremony, Israeli film 'Dolphin Boy' by Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin was simultaneously shown in four auditoriums.

Nenad Puhovski, director of ZagrebDox Festival, greeted the audience: "We are very pleased to open yet another edition of the festival – we usually call it a 'feast of documentaries' – organized only for you, our audience. The main goal of ZagrebDox is to give the audience a chance to gain a deeper insight into documentary film. Once again we have selected a program of numerous and varied documentaries and we believe there will be something for everybody. For us, the organizers, there is no greater pleasure than to hear the audience commenting and discussing the films they have just seen while exiting auditoriums. These are the moments that make our efforts worthwhile".

"This year we have introduced two new programs and have substantially expanded our program for film professionals, ZagrebDox Pro. Among the fifty or so international guests joining us this year are two exceptionally important festival directors, Ally Derks, director of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and Krzysztof Gierat, director of Krakow Film Festival, and, of course, great U.S. author Jay Rosenblatt. What gives me additional pleasure is ZagrebDox's cooperation with Zagreb Film on the release of a DVD with a selection of films of Krsto Papić, a great figure of Croatian documentary film. It is the first critical edition of a documentary director's works in Croatia", said Puhovski.

He expressed his gratitude to the festival's general sponsor Hrvatski Telekom, Movieplex and Centar Kaptol, City of Zagreb, Croatian Audiovisual Center, European MEDIA Fund and all other sponsors and partners. Director Puhovski then invited Milan Bandić, the Mayor of Zagreb, to open the festival.

"I would like to thank you for having organized this event for the past eight years. Year after year, we have proudly supported you in your efforts to give the audience a chance to gain a deeper insight into documentary film. I will paraphrase Stephen Spielberg here: 'Probably no film, book or musical album can solve the pressing issues of the world but they can at least keep trying!' I wish you yet another pleasant and interesting celebration of documentaries", said Milan Bandić, proclaiming the festival open.

The audience was then greeted by Yonatan Nir, the director of 'Dolphin Boy'. "We are very excited because of the fantastic welcome you have organized here for us. Honestly, we didn't expect it. I would hereby like to thank the organizers for their kindness and hospitality. Every filmmaker is a dreamer because filmmaking is a demanding and arduous journey", he said.

After the screening of 'Dolphin Boy', the film crew was introduced to the audience: the protagonists of the film, boy Morad Azba and Dr. Ilan Kutz joined director Yonatan Nir in Zagreb.

During ZagrebDox, till 4 March, more than 150 international and Croatian documentaries will be shown. Screenings will be taking place daily, from 12am to 11pm, in all five Movieplex auditoriums in Centar Kaptol.