Full-length documentary
A Fox Under a Pink Moon
Millions of Afghan men and women live in Iran without permanent legal status or protection. Sixteen-year-old Soraya suffers domestic abuse as well as the inability to freely decide her own future.
International Competition
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.
One example is The Voice of Hind Rajab. The film reconstructs the tragic story of six-year-old Hind in Gaza—staged, yet enriched with documentary techniques, authentic footage, and real audio recordings to deepen its connection to the actual events and their powerful impact on audiences. A female voice from the Middle East also resonates in A Fox Under a Pink Moon, where young artist Soraya confronts her migrant experience and an abusive partner in a fresh, partially animated diary-style confession. The documentary Mailin weaves together archival materials, staged visualizations, firsthand testimonies, and other source materials to examine a harrowing case of child sexual abuse in Argentina.
Family history and intergenerational dialogue—a theme strongly represented across this year’s program—are brought to life in the competition by Searching for Satyrus. This adventurous cinematic gem, set in the borderlands between Azerbaijan and Armenia, follows a photographer in pursuit of a rare butterfly and, simultaneously, the spirit of her deceased father in a region scarred by war. A vivid portrait of the younger generation comes from Hungarian rap phenomenon Pogány Induló in Meant to Be. This dynamically edited film traces a fractured young man who, somewhat unexpectedly, becomes a voice of opposition, carrying—through the rhythm of rap—the weight of Generation Z’s mental fragility.
Films in section International Competition
Full-length documentary
Desert Passages
The Colorado River is drying up. Once a lifeline linking the southwestern United States and Mexico, it is now a witness to shifting ecosystems, changing ways of life, and the widening inequalities of capitalism.
Full-length documentary
Jaripeo
In the seemingly masculine world of Mexican rodeo, clothing is stretched tight over the body, just like the tension in the arena. This glittering spectacle hides a deeper desire for the free expression of sexuality.
Full-length documentary
Mailin
A mother and daughter share a quiet evening ritual that gradually transforms into a dark tableau of memory and fear. The film sensitively observes how motherhood becomes a journey toward protection as well as a return to a painful past.
Full-length documentary
Meant to Be
Pogány Induló is a Hungarian rap star. For him, music is everything, and the adoration of his fans gives him a sense of purpose. Yet both come at a cost to his health and his life.
Full-length documentary
My Word Against Mine
One in ten people hears voices in their heads. Some of these voices have names, while others remain anonymous. Some want to help, others try to harm. In this unique cinematic experience, these inner voices take shape in front of the camera.
Full-length documentary
River Dreams
The inner world of the Aksai River intertwines with the intimate dreams of young Kazakh women. Moving from poetic reflections on identity and the future, the protagonists gradually arrive at clearly formulated views on the state of their country.
Full-length documentary
Searching for Satyrus
The mountains between the hostile nations of Azerbaijan and Armenia are the only place where a rare butterfly can be seen. The daughter of the entomologist after whom the butterfly is named embarks on an adventurous expedition to capture it.
Full-length documentary
Silent Flood
Closed religious communities are seemingly untouched by the war with Russia. Yet, its members decide to join the war effort—but in a way that does not violate their pacifist convictions.
Full-length documentary
The Sandbox
Borders are becoming laboratories where the latest surveillance technologies are tested on the most vulnerable. However, what is happening today to refugees away from public and media scrutiny could soon become the norm for everyone.
Feature film
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Red Crescent volunteers answer an emergency call: a six-year-old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While keeping her on the line, the humanitarian workers do everything in their power to get an ambulance to her.
Other Programme Sections
Competition section
Right to Know
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
Czech Competition
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
Virtual Reality
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
The Gunnar Myth
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
One World for All
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 in Need
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
Vision of Today
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
Against the Tide
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
Community Vortex
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
Fault Lines
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.
Thematic section
Everyday Courage
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
Among Generations
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 for Families
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.