One World heads to Brussels. After Washington, New York, and The Hague the festival continues in the European capital
The international human rights film festival One World continues its global journey. Following successful screenings in The Hague, Washington, and New York, it will make a significant debut in Brussels this year, where the 19th edition of One World in Brussels will take place from 20 to 24 April 2026. Over five days, the festival will present 10 films and 9 expert debates, transforming eight Brussels cinemas into spaces for discussions on human rights, war, freedom, gender inequality, and climate and technological responsibility. Symbolically, the festival will conclude its annual marathon on the same day as the final regional events of One World in the Czech Republic.
Opening in Brussels to feature a film from the Ukrainian front
The opening ceremony will take place on Monday, 20 April at 19:00 at Cinema Galeries. The festival will launch with 2000 Metres to Andriivka by director Mstyslav Chernov, an Oscar winner for his previous work. His new documentary offers a raw, immediate look at the Ukrainian front line, following soldiers fighting metre by metre to reclaim occupied territory near the devastated village of Andriivka.
This year’s Brussels programme will feature 1 fiction film and 9 documentaries, all combining powerful human stories with pressing social issues. Each screening will be followed by debates with politicians, filmmakers, NGO representatives, and people actively engaged in defending human rights on the ground.
Ten films, fen perspectives on today’s world
The One World in Brussels 2026 programme includes films from across the globe, each exploring different forms of injustice and resistance.
Among them are:
- Traces by Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk, a documentary about Ukrainian women who survived sexual violence committed by Russian occupying forces and are transforming their trauma into solidarity and support for others.
- She by Parsifal Reparato, a portrait of Vietnamese women working in electronics factories, whose lives are shaped by exhausting labour conditions and patriarchal expectations.
- Surviving the Death Committee by Nima Sarvestani, following an Iranian activist and the brother of an executed dissident as they seek to bring to justice a man responsible for prison massacres in Iran.
- My Boyfriend the Fascist by Matthias Lintner, an intimate portrait of a relationship torn apart by ideology.
- A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan by Leigh Iacobucci, telling the story of a young musician who has become a symbol of the fight for women’s rights in her country.
- The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania, documenting volunteers from the Red Crescent attempting to rescue a six-year-old girl trapped in a car under fire in Gaza.
- Welded Together by Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, an intimate look at the life of a young woman in present-day Belarus.
- Elon Musk Unveiled - The Tesla Experiment by Andreas Pichler, a documentary questioning the safety of Tesla’s autonomous driving and charting the transformation of Elon Musk.
- Politzek: The Voices That Defy the Kremlin by Manon Loizeau and Ekaterina Mamontova, a secretly filmed portrait of Russian political prisoners.
The winner of the One World in Brussels Award will be decided by an international jury composed of Catherine Absalom, Wouter Hessels, and Nina Pániková. The award will be announced during the closing ceremony on 24 April.
Strong partnerships behind the Brussels festival
The Brussels edition is organised by People in Need in collaboration with 12 key local partners, including the European Parliament, the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, and the Czech Centre Brussels.
Most screenings are free of charge, but due to limited capacity, advance registration via the festival website is required.
The Hague: The first step of this year’s international journey
This year’s Brussels edition was preceded by One World’s participation in the Movies that Matter festival in The Hague, with which it closely collaborates. Following this event, One World will take over leadership of the Human Rights Film Network, which brings together more than fifty human rights festivals worldwide.
In The Hague, three screenings took place on 22, 23, and 25 March, accompanied by debates on Traces, A Free Daughter of Free Kyrgyzstan, and Politzek: The Voices That Defy the Kremlin. The discussions were moderated by Nadiia Ivanova, Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy at People in Need.
One World Director Ondřej Kamenický also served on the jury of the Dutch Focus section, dedicated to contemporary Dutch cinema.
Washington and New York: Building new relationships in the United States
At the same time as its Hague programme, One World made a notable debut in the United States. In Washington, it partnered with the prestigious Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital (DCEFF), which – like One World – is part of the Green Film Network.
Two screenings took place on 26 and 27 March. The Czech documentary Resilience captivated audiences not only with its theme but also its striking visual style. A discussion with festival director Ondřej Kamenický and protagonist Pavel Pokorný was moderated by Holly Jonas from the Mongabay platform. The film To the West, in Zapata was followed by a debate with prominent Cuban human rights activist and lawyer Laritza Diversent.
The American programme continued on 29 and 30 March in New York, where One World, in collaboration with the Czech Centre New York and the Václav Havel Center, presented both screenings again. These discussions provided valuable insights into environmental protection and the current situation in Cuba.
One World will conclude both its international and regional programme on 24 April – on the same day in Brussels and in the final cities across the Czech Republic.