Open dialogue is the foundation of democracy. In today’s highly polarized climate, people are increasingly retreating into echo chambers, reinforcing their own truths without the willingness to explore the perspectives of others. The section Fault Lines examines the forms of today’s divided society and presents ways in which people can understand one another across diametrically opposed beliefs.
Ideological conflicts often strike closest to home. The film Flood, for instance, follows a director’s journey to reconnect with her father, a devout believer and evolution skeptic, while her faith in science guides her worldview. The film My Boyfriend the Fascist examines the partnership between two men—a Cuban idealist leaning toward the far right and a liberal Italian filmmaker. Both documentaries show how the dynamics of disagreement in personal relationships can reflect broader societal tensions.
Coexistence, My Ass! explores the intertwining of two worlds through its protagonist, Noam. Using humor, she seeks to bring the peoples of Palestine and Israel closer together and advocate for peaceful coexistence. The conflict in the Middle East is also examined in the biting satire Yes, which exposes the contradictions and dilemmas of contemporary Israeli society in ways that are often funny, yet chilling to the bone.
Audiences in the section will also encounter the ever-polarizing questions of contemporary art, corruption in India, and migration between North and South Korea. And, alongside us, the audience is invited to wrestle with the central question: how can we coexist despite our differences?
Full-length documentary
Comedienne Noam Shuster-Eliassi takes up the fight against prejudice towards the Palestinian people. Her weapons are a microphone, courage, and humour. But can an Israeli celebrity change her own society through stand-up?
Full-length documentary
Director Katy Scoggin returns to her childhood home, which was strongly influenced by her orthodoxly religious father. During a family move, the conflict between faith and science is reopened - along with the chance of not losing one another.
Full-length documentary
In the Indian countryside, where poppy cultivation has been an almost sacred mission for generations, an unequal struggle unfolds between the locals and a corrupt state apparatus.
Feature film
Iva must go to work even when she’s sick, or risk losing most of her salary. When she becomes the first COVID patient in town, she faces accusations of endangering the entire city. An investigative commission is tasked with determining her possible guilt.
Full-length documentary
Couples therapy at the intersection of home video and social essay. Author Matthias Lintner unflinchingly turns the camera on himself and his boyfriend, who has begun to lean towards far-right ideology.
Full-length documentary
North Korean women seek love and stability in South Korea. This intimate and often humorous portrait explores relationships between two divided worlds.
Full-length documentary
A work of art or outright theft? Jens Haaning borrowed half a million Danish crowns from a museum to create an art installation. He ended up submitting just two empty frames...
Feature film
The enfant terrible of both festival and Israeli cinema, Nadav Lapid, returns in brutally sharp form, following a morally conflicted hero tasked with composing a new, more bellicose Israeli anthem.
Competition section
Refined cinematic explorations of challenging human-rights themes—this, in essence, is the vision behind the International Competition. The selection features films that have recently captivated audiences at the world’s leading festivals, showcasing—and often expanding—the possibilities of audiovisual storytelling in documentary cinema.
Competition section
Ten films in the Right to Know section offer an insider’s view of the lesser-known corners of global affairs, told through the stories of people who have dared to defy regimes, traditions, or the everyday absurdities of power. Whether their David-and-Goliath struggles unfold at a prestigious American university, in autocratic Russia, or under decades-long Ugandan dictatorship, these stories inspire courage and empathy.
Competition section
The competition highlighting domestic documentary filmmaking in the context of human rights has long been a cornerstone of the One World Festival. This year’s selection brings together premiere screenings and films that have made an impact at Czech and international festivals, offering above all a showcase of diverse and inventive approaches to complex social issues. Audiences can look forward to ten compelling titles, presented in world, Czech, and distribution premieres.
Competition section
The competitive Virtual Reality section offers an immersive experience of both unprecedented imaginary worlds and pressing real-world themes that resonate with society: from the anti-capitalist fairytale The Sad Story of the Little Mouse Who Wanted to Become Somebody, to the captivating visual epic Revival Roadshow, which deconstructs Dutch colonialism in Australia, and finally to the delicate essay on mental health in Japan, If You See a Cat.
Thematic section
In his loose film series, the remarkable Norwegian filmmaker Gunnar Hall Jensen embarks on an uncompromising exploration of life’s complex questions and his own dark inner landscapes. Through brutally honest, self-revealing documentary films, he constructs a constantly evolving self-portrait, offering a raw insight into the pressing issues he and society grapple with—whether sexuality, relationships, personal crises, escape from Western society, the challenges of parenthood, or contemporary, often toxic masculinity.
Thematic section
What defines a dignified life? Is it our abilities, or the environment that surrounds us? This year, the One World for All category presents stories that challenge conventional notions of disability, portraying it not as an individual “handicap” but as the product of systemic, communicative, and mental barriers. The selected films invite us to see the world through the eyes of those whose voices are often overlooked in debates about autonomy.
Thematic section
Climate issues are increasingly intertwined with social and political questions—a trend that is clearly reflected in contemporary environmental films. These works rarely settle for merely highlighting ecological problems; instead, they embrace complexity, mirroring the multifaceted challenges society faces in the wake of climate change. Together, they confront us with a pressing task: to imagine constructive narratives that offer not only potential solutions, but above all, hope.
Thematic section
Endless possibilities, a torrent of worlds, signals from the cosmos; but also accelerated consumerism, online threats, and a loneliness that kills. The Vision of Today section paints a vivid portrait of the contemporary technological landscape and its impact on our lives.
Thematic section
An unconventional approach to life’s journey unites nine films about people who, despite the pressures of their time, family, or society, choose to move against the grain of accepted norms. Through intimate personal stories and wider social conflicts, these films show that crossing boundaries can be both painful and liberating, and that freedom sometimes begins the moment we dare to question what is usually considered normal.
Thematic section
This section maps the intense movement of society between community and spirituality, whether it takes the form of a turn toward esotericism, new religious movements, or communities bound by tradition, faith, or shared life experiences.
Thematic section
In a world flooded with devastating news on a daily basis, repeating the mantra “courage every day” can be what helps us get out of bed each morning. Finding the inner strength to face what we, as ordinary people, have zero control over is often a superhuman feat, even in places untouched by war or natural disasters. Nine films exploring the ways people cope with the weight of reality seek to illuminate how we can find meaning in turbulent times, when the certainties we rely on seem to be crumbling.
Thematic section
At a time when the world is changing far more rapidly than ever before, generations perceive reality in strikingly different ways. What once unfolded over twenty-five-year cycles now comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Building mutual understanding in this fast-paced world is especially challenging, as each emerging generation shapes its own political, technological, and social landscape—and develops unique ways of forming relationships and identities. Yet society’s fragmentation need not be permanent; fostering dialogue often begins simply by listening to what each generation cares about and believes in.
Thematic section
One World also caters to younger audiences, presenting films that share stories of children from around the world and help young viewers better understand themselves and others.