Between Silences and Ovations: Saying Goodbye to the 22nd ZagrebDox Film Festival

Across sixteen program sections, this year’s ZagrebDox featured 112 screenings selected from more than 2,000 feature-length, mid-length, and short submissions. Alongside its rich documentary lineup, the festival also included a series of accompanying events, ranging from the traditional DoXXL panels and outstanding Masterclasses to the ZagrebDox Pro: Slow Pitch industry program.

This year's Big Stamp went to A Fox Under the Pink Moon by Mehrdad Oskouei and Soraya Akhlaghi in the International Competition, and to The Mountain Won’t Move by Petra Seliškar in the Regional Competition. The Little Stamp for Best Short Film was awarded to Martin Herr's Omama. The HRT Audience Award in the Regional Competition went to One Man Avalanche by Slobodanka Radun, while the AVITEH Audience Award in the International Competition was presented to 2000 Meters to Andriivka by Mstyslav Chernov. Fifteen carefully curated titles from this year’s ZagrebDox will be available from April 27 through May 3 on the Loly.tv platform.

In a speech after the awards ceremony, ZagrebDox’s Artistic Director and founder Nenad Puhovski reflected on how today's audiences experience film festivals: “It has recently become somehow become customary that after premieres — on more and more occasions and at more and more festivals — audiences rise to their feet and celebrate the film and its authors with endless standing ovations. I have to admit that this practice makes me somewhat uneasy. As it repeats itself, it begins to resemble a predetermined festival ritual, an extension of glamour, red carpets, and quiet competitions for being the best dressed person present, and less a spontaneous and intimate reaction. We are not that kind of festival. Besides, it would be inappropriate to react that way after films that speak about wars, the destruction of nature, the denial of personal freedoms, gender oppression, or technology developing faster than we can understand it, let alone control it. Therefore — thank you for the silences that our films so often create. For those moments of held breath, brief discomfort, or contemplation that come before the ovations. For that quiet reflection they have clearly earned. And then for that modest, genuine applause that belongs to you for your painstaking work, and for coming to Zagreb so that we can discuss what we’ve just seen. The awards we presented are merely a reminder of those moments: of silence as a sign of attention and your commitment to the world we live in — its problems, but also its precious, redemptive moments of joy and togetherness. Thank you — and we'll see you again soon.”

This edition introduced several new programs. The new Photo Dox Program explored the medium of documentary photography and cast new light on photography as an independent documentary form, while the Audio Dox Program — which, since its introduction last year, has positioned itself as a space for auditory storytelling — further expanded this year by entering cinema theaters. “Another memorable edition of ZagrebDox is now behind us. Despite such stunning weather, we managed to draw audiences to our theatres, our many guests have been so appreciative, and we’re thrilled that an incredible 48 out of a total of 112 films received the highest possible rating. Our selectors clearly know our audiences, and the audiences love ZagrebDox! What more could we ask for,” concluded ZagrebDox Executive Director Hrvoje Pukšec.

See you at the 23rd ZagrebDox! ZagrebDox was held with the support of the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Film Authors’ Association, and the Zagreb Tourist Board.