Anna Jackova

One World Festival brings open, free and critical national and international documentary production

Bratislava, September 16, 2024 – This year’s One World festival will feature not only the best of international documentary cinema but also new Czech and Slovak films. International Documentary Film Festival One World Slovakia is launching the presale of festival Cinepasses and presenting local and international films that will compete for the audience’s attention as well as for valuable prizes. It also introduces a new video spot that offers a glimpse of what awaits you this year (not only) on the screen at Bratislava’s Lumiére Cinema.

How are parents of prematurely born children, those born in the so-called “gray zone,” coping? Why does a young man heal his wounds by swallowing and breathing fire? And what does beauty mean to us, and how does a young woman cope after acid thrown in her face robs her of her identity? These are some of the questions that One World 2024 will address this fall, showcasing not only international works but also ten new Slovak and Czech films.

Eight of these films will be part of the competition section “Slovakia and the Czech Republic for Human Rights,” with one film still being kept as a surprise by the festival.

Eight films will compete for the jury’s favor

One World Festival is not only an annual showcase of the best in documentary filmmaking from around the world but also a competition for Czech and Slovak documentary films. This year, eight films will compete in the “Slovakia and the Czech Republic for Human Rights” section, judged by a three-member international jury: Catalonian filmmaker, critic, and researcher Anna Petrus, Polish director and producer Maciek Hamela, and last year’s winning director, Viera Čákanyová.

Each film opens an important topic affecting a part of our society or a subject that has been overlooked by society. One example is Gray Zone by director Daniela Meressy Rusnoková, which focuses on the “gray zone” where severely premature infants are born. The film portrays the journey of maternal care for children with special needs, exposing the deep gaps in Slovakia’s support system for children with disabilities and their families.

While Gray Zone examines the beginning of life in our society, the documentary Return to Life follows the stories of five homeless individuals who were given a new chance at life through the Housing First project in Otrokovice. The film explores whether they succeed in overcoming their personal demons and reintegrating into society.

A return to normal life and one’s identity is also the focus of Is There Any Place for Me, Please?, which tells the story of Martina, who survived a brutal acid attack as an act of revenge by her ex-boyfriend. Her identity is shattered, and she must learn to live anew, in a completely different way. Through intimate testimonies, we witness Martina’s remarkable struggle – from her lowest points to her greatest achievements.

The winning film will receive an original sculpture by Mária Tóthová and a €2,000 cash prize from the law firm Detvai Ludik Malý. The same films will also compete for the DAFilms Award, which offers online marketing services for the winning film.

Eight Slovak and Czech film premieres featured in the “Slovakia and Czech Republic for Human Rights” competition section:

Fakir (Roman Ďuriš, 2024)
Pozor, padá SNG! (Jana Durajová, Lena Kušnieriková, 2023)
Bedwetter (Jan Hušek, 2023)
Return to Life Be (Jaroslav Beran, 2024)
Gray Zone (Daniela Meressy Rusnoková, 2024)
Is There Any Place for Me, Please?, (Jarmila Štuková, 2023)
Martin Pollack: A Look into the Abyss (Jaroslav Vojtek, 2024)
Question of the Future (Maroš Brázda, 2024)

In addition to the competition films, the festival will showcase two other films by Slovak directors. One of them is Distances, by director Matej Bobrik, which follows the fate of a disintegrating Nepali family in Poland. The second film remains a secret, which the festival will reveal soon.

We must fight for culture, or we will lose it

One World Festival offers a critical view of societal issues through the films and topics it presents and its involvement in the Cultural Strike.

“We are deeply concerned about the activities and decisions of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. We have long cooperated with the ministry to develop the 2030 Culture and Creative Industry Strategy, emphasizing expertise, non-partisanship, inclusion, and respect. Unfortunately, since the new leadership took office, we have witnessed the trampling of each of these principles. From the dismissal of key staff in important national cultural institutions to the chaos, disregard for expertise, and hate speech spread by the ministry’s leadership. Culture in our country is being ruined by the very institution that is supposed to cultivate and develop it. We, therefore, join the Cultural Strike. We believe it is extremely important to unite across sectors and show support for all cultural actors who create artistic value in Slovakia,” explained Eva Križková, director of the festival.

The Cultural Strike is a coordinated movement within Slovakia’s cultural scene, aiming to stop the destructive actions of the Ministry of Culture’s leadership at all levels. It calls for competent and professional management that respects the freedom, rights, and expertise of those working in the cultural sector and contributes to improving Slovakia’s cultural conditions.

You can buy your passes today

The 25th anniversary edition of International Documentary Film Festival One World will take place from October 18 to 27, 2024. After two years, it returns to the newly renovated Lumiére Cinema, where most of the festival will be held. You can get a sneak peek of the films in the newly released video spot, available on the festival’s social media today.

Festival passes are now available through CINEPASS. A special CINEPASS ONLINE is also available for the screenings of ten international films, which will be available online after the festival from October 28.10 to November 3^rd.

Part of One World 2024 program is already available on the Cinepass website. Additional festival updates will be published on the website in the coming days.

The festival is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund. The main organizer is the non-profit organization People in Need.