Program pages 2020 | DOCVILLE - Documentary Film Festival Leuven, Belgium - 25/3

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Artist in Focus: Nick Broomfield
Docville @ Canvas
Docville Academy
Docville PLUS
International selection
It's the economy stupid
Ket & Doc
Kids these days
Short docs
Leuven Jazz @ DOCVILLE
Belgian selection
Outside the dox
Spectrum
Guest screenings
Virtual Reality
ConScience

#UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump

Is Donald Trump mentally ill? He is the butt of a lot of jokes, but can we prove scientifically that he is not only unsuitable, but also downright dangerous as president of the most powerful country in the world? A disconcerting (but unintentionally hilarious) dive into the brain of one of the most controversial figures in contemporary history.

spectrum
2040

What will the world look like in 2040? No apocalyptic climate disasters, but an inspiring and hopeful picture of the future, as well as the way to achieve this goal. "2040" is a motivational chain of very practical solutions that already exist and can save the world if we really commit ourselves. An inspiring "yes we can" film with a focus on the power of innovation and creativity.

spectrum
A Tuba to Cuba

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a musical institute in New Orleans and far beyond. The band travels to Cuba, looking for the native music that gave birth to the New Orleans Jazz. The journey is not only a musical discovery, but a catchy ode to human connection.

leuven-jazz-docville
Accused no. 2: Walter Sisulu

Take place in a court in South Africa in the '60. 10 anti-apartheid activists from the ANC are facing a lifelong prison sentence. After Nelson Mandela Walter Sisulu, accused number 2, is up.

short-docs
virtual-reality
Adolescents

Between the ages of 13 and 18, adolescents turn into young adults. In a surprisingly candid portrait we see Emma and Anais grow up during these crucial years. In a fascinating kind of timelapse they evolve physically, emotionally and intellectually on the white screen. A disarming, highly personal and yet universally recognizable portrait.

kids-these-days
Aileen, diary of a Serial Killer

A middle finger was the only thing Aileen Wuornos was willing to show the judge after her conviction. She confessed to seven murders in cold blood, while previously insisting that it was about self-defense. What drove her? And why did she suddenly change her statement? A portrait of a tormented woman

artist-in-focus-nick-broomfield
All Inclusive

A cruise ship provides plenty of entertainment for a long vacation. Sunbathing, gymnastics on the deck, an all-you-can-eat buffet. Entertainment 24/7. Hundreds of people with a very similar holiday experience. Together yet alone they are all in the same boat.

short-docs
American Factory

2008. The General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio is closing its doors causing thousands of people to lose their jobs. Years later, the arrival of a new Chinese company brings some hope. At first the American and Chinese craftsmen work side by side, but before too long cultural differences cause some setbacks. A sobering look at contemporary economic globalization. An Oscar winning film!

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Annapolis, Giant City

Left bank, once just the village of SintAnna, has been the favorite playground for project developers and architects for many years. With varying degrees of success. Architecture and urban design are directly related to the people who live in it. A film about the city and people, both constantly in motion, even though they do not always know in which direction.

belgian-selection
Ashe '68

During the tumultuous year of 1968 Arthus Ashe is the first black man to break through to the absolute top of international male tennis. Relive a historical day in the (completely white) tennis club West Side where Ashe wrote history.

short-docs
virtual-reality
Bertha en de wolfram

Bertha leert op creatieve manier omgaan met een slepende ziekte.

short-docs
Bile

How thin is human skin? And what does it hide? Is it just the leather shell of the apocalypse? An intimate film essay about the physicality of man, made up of medical images, memories of a deceased mother and historical archive material. Looking for answers. What is the body? What is illness? And finally; what is death?

outside-the-dox
Blasphemy: The Story of Asia Bibi

In Pakistan staat de doodstraf op godslastering. Ervan beschuldigd worden is dan ook een halszaak. Dat ondervond ook Asia Bibi, een christelijk vrouw die na een discussie beschuldigd werd door haar collega's. Haar veroordeling zorgde voor een enorme verdeeldheid onder de Pakistaanse bevolking, met fervente voor- en tegenstanders van de blasfemie-wetten.

docville-canvas
Boom Bust Boom

After the Boom comes the Bust, economic prosperity is always followed by a crisis. But why is that? Recently deceased Monty Python comedian Terry Jones guides us through the history and essence of the economic "boom-bust cycle" using interviews, animations and puppet shows.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Bring it to the People - The Film about the Brussels Jazz Orchestra

More than three years film maker Guy Fellemans followed the renowned Belgian Brussels Jazz Orchestra. The musical collective keeps searching time after time for new and exciting ways to make jazz appealing.

leuven-jazz-docville
Busking

It seemed like a great plan: folk musicians Joel Ludford and Anna Moss were going traveling with a self-built tour bus from Arkansas, USA, to Argentina. But a serious car accident thwarts their plans: the bus is destroyed and Joel ends up in a wheelchair for several months. Will their love and dreams remain intact?

belgian-selection
Call Confessions

Near the village of Aspa in Catalonia, a hunter succumbs to his killer instinct and inexplicably shoots two wildlife rangers he happens upon in an olive grove. When he puts through a call to emergency services, he finds it nearly impossible to articulate why he pulled the trigger.

short-docs
Canvas Avond

Als vaste partner presenteert Canvas traditiegetrouw een eigen programma op het festival. Op de Canvas-avond dit jaar een exclusieve preview van de gloednieuwe reeks Ontoerekeningsvatbaar, een pakkende reeks over mensen met een psychiatrische stoornis die een misdaad hebben gepleegd. In aanwezigheid van Minister Geens, Minister De Block en de regisseurs.

guest-screenings
Capital in the 21st Century

Capitalism is based on a fundamental fallacy. That’s bestselling author and economics professor Thomas Piketty’s conclusion. Capital grows faster than income. This leads to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The idea that this inequality would be eliminated automatically is based on a wrong analysis. A critical, revealing look at capitalism with possible solutions.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

John Coltrane is a legend, a mesmerizing outside-the-box musician who transcends musical boundaries with his exceptional talent. Aside from colleagues and musical experts, Oscar winner Denzel Washington brings the saxophone prodigy to life with a unique voice-over.

leuven-jazz-docville
Cinema Pameer

Cigarette smoke so thick the projector lamp can barely shine through, the manager reaching out to you on the street or the permanent fear of terrorist attacks. A nice evening at the movies in the last remaining cinema in Kabul is a little bit different. A visually stunning film about the hope that cinema brings to a city marked by war and fundamentalism.

international-selection
Circus zonder tent

Romy, dochter uit een circusfamilie, heeft grote dromen en ambities.

short-docs
Citizen K

“I’m not a perfect man, but I do have ideals.” Oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky was Russia’s richest man - and one of the 20 richest people in the world - until he got on Putin’s bad side and was sent to a Siberian prison. Oscar winner Alex Gibney shares a disconcerting story about gangster capitalism in Russia, with Putin himself as the opponent.

conscience
Class Action Park

Missing teeth, bruises, broken arms, bloody noses ... For years these were the trophies people proudly wore after a visit to Action Park, the most dangerous amusement park in the world. A documentary that is both hilarious and shocking and shows how much the definition of "conscious parenting" has changed since the 1980s.

kids-these-days
Collective

27 dead and 184 injured, that is the sad toll after a fire in a nightclub. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. Dozens of injured victims die later in the hospital from perfectly preventable infections. It is the start of a corruption case that will lead to the dismissal of the Romanian government. Leave it to a sports newspaper, of all media, to bring attention to the story.

conscience
Crazy Money

What happens when you give the inhabitants of a small African village a basic income for a period of two years? Organization Eight.world put this to the test and conducted the experiment in Busibi, Uganda. The impact is extraordinary and produces surprising results. The inhabitants of Busibi developed into true entrepreneurs and the influence of the initiative is still noticeable.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
belgian-selection
CRISPR: Holy grail or Pandora’s box?

A fascinating but controversial new possibility in science: very specific pieces of DNA can be processed, allowing genes in living cells to be permanently modified. This could allow for many genetic diseases to be treated. But where is the limit? By intervening in DNA we are playing with the fundamental building blocks of human life.

docville-plus
spectrum
Cunningham

With his groundbreaking choreographies, choreographer Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) changed contemporary dance forever. Filmmaker Alla Kovgan wanted his choreographies to live on in cinema and uses a combination of contemporary three-dimensional recordings with archive footage of the choreographer himself. The result is a total experience for all senses, a breathtaking immersion in the dance world and the universe of Merce Cunningham.

spectrum
D+ Development cooperation 2.0

“Don’t give a man fish, teach him how to fish.” This phrase is often cited in the context of development cooperation and does not sound illogical. But isn’t this approach paternalistic and outdated? What if we just give money without any conditions and advice?

docville-plus
it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Day of the Doc

Professional documentary makers traditionally meet on the last day of DOCVILLE for the annual Day of the Doc. An exciting round-up of the state of affairs of the Flemish documentary film organized by Flanders Doc.

docville-academy
De Slag om Leuven

Leuven during the Second World War. A fascinating story of conquest, occupation and liberation, built entirely from a surprising large amount of archive material. The images bring the concrete story of the city of Leuven to life in the wider context of WWII. Voiced by former inhabitant of Leuven, musician Daan Stuyven.

spectrum
De weg die voor me ligt

We spend a large part of our lives in school, but what if you can not ground in that system?

short-docs
Diego Maradona

Even the biggest football layman has heard of Diego Maradona. His life reads as a gripping Greek tragedy with a charismatic hero. Oscar-winning documentary maker Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna) tells the story of Maradona, a lost soul who became bigger than god.

spectrum
Earth

A new train tunnel is built in the Alps, California mountains are literally moved for the construction of a new city, huge chunks of beautiful Carrara marble are carved. This visual gem asks us how much of our planet we are looking to ravage in order to continue our lifestyle with vast, impressive shots.

outside-the-dox
Een redelijk Leven

A Short documentary inpired by the life and work of Marc Didden,

short-docs
Faith

An intimate journey into a world of extreme devotion. War monks live in isolation in an Italian monastery. For 20 years they have been preparing through prayer and demanding martial arts training for a "higher war," in which they want to fight evil in the name of the Father. Radical devotion captured in poetic black and white photography.

international-selection
Feels Good Man

Pepe The Frog. The little frog conquered the internet as a meme and became the symbol of the alt-right ideology. This to the discontent of creator Matt Furie. How could this happen? Does everything on the internet belong to everyone? Can you stop the snowball-effect when you put something online? Furie is set more than ever to reclaim his own creation.

spectrum
Fien, Jip & Fien

Voor broer Jip en zus Fien wordt alles anders wanneer Jip voor het eerste verliefd wordt. .

short-docs
For Eunice

Eunice (7) grows up with her sister Tarma (9) in a disadvantaged environment. Playful childishness must soon give way to the harsh realities that force themselves into their concrete playground.

short-docs
Gods of Molenbeek

The attacks of 22 March 2016 sent a shock wave through the country. Suddenly, all the spotlights were focused on Molenbeek, a "hell hole" according to the American president. But it’s also the place 6-year-old Aatos and his friends call home. A film about friendship, faith and identity. And above all, a film about what connects us.

spectrum
Heartbound: A Different Kind of Love Story

In a small village in the north of Denmark, a remarkable number of men are married to Thai women. For decades, Sommai, a local matchmaker, has been bringing them over from her former village. This is not the usual story of exploitation by rich Western men. Thanks to Sommai who defends, follows up and coaches 'her' girls, the possible relationship starts out with a balanced and positive approach. A surprisingly empathic film about love, dreams and migration.

docville-canvas
Honeyland

Hatidze lives with her bedridden mother in a remote mountain village in northern Macedonia. She is one of the last female wild bee hunters and lives by the golden rule: never take more from the bees than you need. This harmony is disturbed when Hussein and his noisy family settle down in the village. Honeyland is a loving but ominous fable about the fragile relationship between man and nature.

spectrum
How You Really Make Decisions

Our choices are not as rational as we think, not even when it comes to money. All kinds of psychological factors play a part in every decision. With his research professor Kahneman proves that our choices may not be rational, but that they do follow predictable patterns. If ratio does not guide us, what does?

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Human Nature

Incredible but true: the product that supposedly will be the basis of the greatest scientific revolution of this century is… yoghurt. Due to CRISPR is will be possible to adapt DNA as easy as "cut" and "paste". From bananas who are resistant to moulds to patients with rare diseases who finally have a chance of a recovery. An interesting, but also controversial new possibility that keeps science under its spell.

spectrum
Hunting for Hedonia

Thanks to Deep Brain Stimulation Parkinson's patients stop shaking and clinically depressed patients can laugh again. Despite these success stories, there is still a strong association with the dark history of electroshock therapy. Does this (increasingly refined) technology have a promising future? An enlightening look back and forward.

conscience
iHuman

How does our society deal with artificial intelligence? It is one of the biggest challenges we face. Who keeps the technology in check and who determines where the limits are? How much of our privacy are we willing to give up? How do we feel about Big Brother? And what kind of society do we want in the future? An alarming technological thriller about the far-reaching possibilities and dangers of AI.

conscience
Ik schilder met schilders

Gallery The Black Panther has existed since 1968, making it the oldest active gallery in the Belgian art world. The gallery is the life work of Adriaan Raemdonck and is still very relevant in today's art world. His story gives us an intimate glimpse into half a century of visual art and the cultural and social evolution in Flanders.

belgian-selection
Infosessie Cultuurloket SABAM

From a vague idea to the final screening: making a film is a lengthy process, as we discuss in this extensive information session. Who are the various actors and what role do they play? Do you release a film yourself or through a management company? And what about the financial side? An insightful overview for every (aspiring) filmmaker, illustrated with many enlightening cases.

docville-academy
Is there a future for investigative journalism?

What if fake news is not contemporary journalism’s biggest problem? So much attention is paid to (countering) disinformation that the biggest risk remains underexposed: the lack of the necessary means to do investigative journalism and publicize information some people would rather keep under wraps.

docville-plus
conscience
Jawline

A lot of people dream of being an influencer on social media. Sitting in his bedroom, 16-year-old Austyn Tester wants to become an online phenomenon at all costs. Day after day he works as hard as he can to get the nicest photo, make a funny video or come up with an inspiring message. From the outside everything looks fine, but on the inside he struggles with loneliness and emptiness. A melancholic, visually outstanding look at the loneliness of the social media dream.

international-selection
kids-these-days
Ket & Doc

In bitesize pieces of 15 minutes each we see a special part of the world through the eyes of a child. Not only interesting for the young target audience (children between the ages of 9 and 12), but for everyone in the educational field that would like to work around a certain theme.

ket-amp-amp-doc
King of the Cruise

Baron Ronald Busch Reisinger from Inneryne - please call him Ronnie - spends his days on luxury cruises. Wearing a kilt and cloak, he tells everyone who will listen (or not) his amazing stories. About his castle in Scotland, or about the time he fell from an elephant playing polo. A tragicomic anti-hero that you will never forget.

spectrum
Kongo

Even today black magic, witchcraft and enchantment play a big part in Congolese daily life. Apostle Medard, one of the healers of the Ngunza church, takes care of both the body and the soul of his followers using exorcism rituals. A piercing portrait of a special individual as well as a portrait of Congo as a country in crisis, where poverty and economical exploitation not only destroy the natural resources but perhaps also the African soul.

international-selection
KU Leuven Science Café - Crimes of the kitchen table

The KU Leuven Science Café presents an informal lecture series on ... the informal economy. After an introduction by rector (and professor of economics) Luc Sels, there are three short lectures on the more hidden side of economics.

docville-plus
it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Kurt & Courtney

Kurt Cobain, frontman of the very successful band Nirvana, committed suicide in 1994. He shot a bullet through his head. When Nick Broomfield wants to portray Cobains road to success and his sad destiny, he soon comes across the worrying suggestion that Courtney Love might have something to do with the death of the grunge guru.

artist-in-focus-nick-broomfield
La Cordillera de los Suenos

A poetic journey along the Andes Mountains in Chile. Going on an adventure in the cordillera is a journey of discovery in the memory and heart of the Chilean soul. The beautiful ending of the Chile trilogy by celebrated documentary maker Patricio Guzmán.

spectrum
Leave the Bus Through the Broken Window

When a filmmaker arrives in Hong Kong for a documentary about an international art fair, he increasingly loses his way. A personal, completely original and darkly funny documentary about existential questions that seem even more urgent when you are on the other side of the world and you literally have to sleep in a cupboard.

outside-the-dox
Marianne & Leonard - Words of Love

'So Long, Marianne' Leonard Cohen sings in one of his most iconic songs. This Marianne is Norwegian Marianne Ihlen, his lifelong muse with whom he started an intense relationship in a time of free love. A beautiful portrait of their unconventional relationship from the early days in idyllic Greece.

artist-in-focus-nick-broomfield
love-factually
Masterclass Virginie Surdej

Cinematographer Virginie Surdej has always made both fiction and documentary films. The visually enchanting documentary Transnistra was screened at DOCVILLE last year, and recently she won prizes for her work on fiction films Insyriated, Adam and Nuestras Madres. Surdej teaches a Masterclass about her vision on making genre-transcending film: documentary and fiction are the same art form. Cinematography is not determined by the genre, but by the emotion and atmosphere.

docville-academy
Mastertalk Nick Broomfield

Nick Broomfeld has a BAFTA and dozens of prizes from prestigious film festivals to show off. In recent decades he has made documentaries about a range of subjects, but what stood out were his special portraits of tragic and fascinating public figures: musicians such as Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur and Leonard Cohen, but also serial killers Aileen Wuornos and the Grim Sleeper. His films regularly feature a healthy dose of self-reflection, and it is not uncommon for film making itself to be the theme. A mastertalk with a true documentary master!

docville-academy
Mega Sexy Robot Dinosaur

It’s all about the title.

short-docs
Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements

Both filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky's father and son are deaf. But as son Jonas prospers because of his implant and discovers Beethoven, father Paul slowly loses grip on his memory. Child, grandfather and Beethoven form a special trio, with lives connected through mutual deafness and unconditional love.

international-selection
Mother

In Thailand there is a unique care home for Europeans with advanced Alzheimer's. A Thai woman named Pomm takes care of the Swiss Elisabeth day and night with a lot of love, a type of care that she would never be able to afford in Europe. It seems like a win-win situation, but Pomm misses her own family. A beautiful and moving reflection on motherhood and an unexpected form of care.

belgian-selection
Mrs F.

Can art and humor make the world a better place? Dramatist Ifeoma Fafunwa tested this theory: on a floating platform close to an impoverished Nigerian fishing village she presents a play on sexual orientation that breaks taboos. She gives Nigerian women a voice that eventually reaches far outside Africa.

spectrum
My Father and Me

For decades, award-winning documentary maker Nick Broomfeld has been zooming in on the lives of others, but at the age of 70 he points the camera at himself and his family. His father Maurice Broomfield was a successful photographer in the 1950s and 60s. This touching portrait of a father-son relationship is also a retrospective of the 20th century and the changing viewpoints of successive generations.

artist-in-focus-nick-broomfield
My Rembrandt

The director of the Rijksmuseum is in a frantic bidding war with the Louvre; a passionate art dealer may have found an undiscovered piece; a collector cannot decide where to put his favorite work. 350 years after his death, Dutch grandmaster Rembrandt still fascinates countless people.

spectrum
My Year of Living Mindfully

Mindfulness. It seems like a miracle cure nowadays: we have to eat, exercise and meditate mindfully. Is it a hype? Or can it really change your life? Journalist Shannon Harvey - a non-believer - decides to live mindfully for one year. In the meantime, she documents her progress and is supported by a multitude of doctors and psychologists.

spectrum
Ni Juge Ni Soumise

Brussels judge Anne Gruwez: frank, straightforward, (unintentionally) funny. Her unique style bears witness to a strict vision, but also suggests compliance and a brilliant instinctual insight into the situations of her defendants.

docville-canvas
Nos Jeunesses Perdues

In a prison for young offenders, ten adolescents are serving a sentence. One day they will be released again and have to find their place in society again. That is why they participate in a new pedagogical project. An intense project, for the young people and for their supervisors. A year in prison with minors stuck between a bruised past and an uncertain future.

kids-these-days
belgian-selection
Nudgeville Seminar

To nudge: giving people a subtle push in order to stimulate certain behavior. This motivation technique, based on (among other things) the work of behavioral economist Richard Thaler, is on the rise. An inspiring afternoon organized in collaboration with KU Leuven and the Behavioral Insights team of the Department of Chancellery and Governance of the Flemish government.

docville-plus
it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Overseas

Many Filipino women go abroad to work as domestic help. It is often a leap into the unknown, as they leave everything behind, including their husband and children. The camera follows these women with understanding and tenderness during a training course to prepare them for an uncertain future. Not a cliche story about social exploitation, but one about companionship and female determination.

belgian-selection
Papamagneet

Hoe is het om iemand te moeten missen, je beste vriend die verhuisd is, of je papa die vaak weg is.

short-docs
Passion: Zwischen Revolte und Resignation

In the 1970s, filmmaker Christian Labhart was still protesting nuclear energy wearing a sweater he knitted himself. Today, married with children, he looks back at his activist past. An impressive musical essay about the loss of connectedness and idealism.

international-selection
Piketty and the history of inequality

Capitalism is based on a fundamental fallacy. That is the conclusion reached by Thomas Piketty, professor of economics, in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which became an unexpected bestseller. Is he a genius or a dangerous radical?

docville-plus
it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies

Propaganda has been around for a long time. From murals to Nazi propaganda, from Alexander the Great to fake news. In a whirlwind journey through time, the strategies behind present and past propagandistic campaigns are unmasked. Not only the propaganda during crucial historical events, but also the smaller stories that creep into our daily lives.

conscience
Radio Felix

Voor Felix, een jongen met autisme, is een eigen radioprogramma een manier om de wereld te begrijpen

short-docs
Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project

For years, an American woman recorded the news. All news, 24 hours a day, for more than 30 years. She wanted to consistently record how the media presents reality. Her unique legacy of around 840,000 hours of visual material is the reason for giving her wayward life work meaning in an equally idiosyncratic documentary.

outside-the-dox
Ring of Dreams

‘You have to learn how to make the audience hate you," says wrestler Tengkwa before taking a skinny teenage boy in a painful head lock. The victim is participating in a training camp and dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. This often hilarious and visually tight documentary asks how far they want to go to achieve their dream.

international-selection
Rotjochies

They are punks, hopeless cases. They get one very last chance. In France, aid worker Petra Knol tries one final time to get them on the right track, but problems from the past continue to plague these youngsters ... A beautiful and serene portrait of young people who struggle with themselves and the world.

kids-these-days
Sabam Avond

Auteursvereniging Sabam ondersteunt audiovisuele auteurs op verschillende manieren. Er is steun voor filmmakers die hun sporen reeds hebben verdiend, maar zeker ook voor jong opkomend talent en dit via een ontwikkelingsbeurs. De Sabam-avond op DOCVILLE staat dit jaar in het teken van drie jonge wolven die hier al beroep op konden doen.

guest-screenings
Sabam Pitch

For decades, Sabam for Culture has been committed to the promotion, development and distribution of its audiovisual repertoire. For example, Sabam for Culture supports directors and/or screenwriters directly through a development grant. Filmmakers who want to qualify for this grant pitch their film in front of a professional jury. The pitch is freely accessible to the public.

docville-academy
Sakawa

“Beautiful lonely woman looks for love on Facebook. She would love to visit you, if you could just send some money so she can apply for a visa.” We’ve all received them: emails in which someone asks for some money in order to obtain an inheritance or get lottery money. This type of internet fraud has been around for a long time. For many young people in Ghana, it is their only way out of poverty. For his debut film, the Belgian-Ghanaian filmmaker Ben Asamoah returns to his homeland and introduces you to the people behind the emails. Meet your scammer!

belgian-selection
Sans Frapper

The documentary tells the subtle story of the rape of a young woman. There is no bogey, no sexual predator. It is about boundaries that are silently crossed by the perpetrator. And the victim does not have the power to say no or simply does not realize what is happening. The film opens our eyes to an abuse that is much more commonplace than we realize.

belgian-selection
Saul's 108th Story

As a teenager in 1950 Brooklyn, all Saul wanted to do was hang out with his friends and go to the beach. Instead, he got roped into a dangerous new job, and Saul got in a little over his head.

short-docs
Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer

Tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer has been publishing one scoop after another for decades. Whether or not these stories are true and have been obtained in a correct way is not really a concern. There isn’t much the tabloid shies away from. A shocking documentary that shows how far the gossip press is willing to go and its impact on readers and general public opinion.

spectrum
School of Seduction

How do you get what you want as a woman? By manipulating men with your sexuality. That is the appalling message by the Russian Vladimir who lead the infamous School of Seduction. Documentarian Alina Rudnitskaya, also Russian, followed three course members for seven years to see if this anachronistic recipe for success works.

spectrum
Sicherheit 123

The Swiss are known for their precision and thoroughness. This observing documentary looks at a continuous series of actions driven by the fear of a worst-case scenario in the Alps. All risks must be contained. Avalanches are caused to prevent unexpected avalanches, picturesque villages welcome concrete dams and falling rocks are collected. The enchanting illusion of a comprehensive certainty.

outside-the-dox
Sing Me a Song

A Buddhist monastery in Bhutan has been able to keep internet, smartphones and even electricity out for many years, but has to keep up with the times. The young monks in training discover a whole new world and in no time Peyangki is glued to his cell phone. He once dreamed of becoming a lama, but the temptation of modern times is strong.

international-selection
kids-these-days
Smog Town

Langfang is one of the most polluted cities in China. Mouth masks are everywhere, breathing is difficult on bad days. The central government decides to take drastic measures: coal can no longer be used for heating, industry within the city is restricted. But even in a country with an almighty state apparatus, the practice appears to be less straightforward.

conscience
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken

When there was finally a consensus that fast food is truly unhealthy to eat, the fast food industry faced a big challenge. There was pressure to offer healthier food. Or... at least keep up appearances. Suddenly, fast food chains started selling salads and pictures of fresh vegetables appeared on the walls. Documentary maker Morgan Spurlock gets a job in the fast food business and exposes all the misleading strategies that are being applied.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
Tales of the Grim Sleeper

In July 2010, Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested. According to the indictment, he was the notorious murderer 'The Grim Sleeper ", a serial killer who has been active for 25 years and may have made more than 100 victims. Lonnie's arrest was not so much the result of careful research, but a pure fluke. As a real thriller Tales of the Grim Sleeper tries to figure out in a compelling way what exactly happened and who played which role. A stark, poignant and surprising story.

artist-in-focus-nick-broomfield
narratieve-structuren
The Amazing Johnathan Documentary

Every documentarian dreams of the perfect story about a perfect character. Director Ben Berman rejoiced when he heard about The Amazing Johnathan, a magician with a terminal disease who kept living. But nothing is what it seems in this meta-documentary about truth and illusions.

spectrum
The Cave

"Is that a warplane above us?" In the operation room of the hospital in Ghouta, Syria, this is an everyday question. Underground doctors work day and night to look after the wounded. Being creative is key, because means are very scarce. The fact that the manager is a woman, is also the root of some problems. A documentary worthy of its Oscar nomination.

spectrum
The Forum

Every year the international elite travels to Davos for the World Economic Forum. Despite the criticism that it is an elitist gettogether, 81-year-old founder Klaus Schwab firmly believes in his original ambition: the world can improve through dialogue. Filmmaker Marcus Vetter got access behind the scenes for the first time.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
The Journey - A Story of Love

A man and a woman travel around the world in their minivan. He is a photographer and a handy man. She, the love of his life, has been paralysed from the neck down for 20 years and needs constant care. Their daughter, film maker Fanny Bräuning, made an unforgettable film about true love that gives meaning to life, even with an unimaginable disease.

spectrum
The Kingmaker

A € 500,000 engagement ring, bulletproof bras and especially her 3000 pairs of shoes made Imelda Marcos world famous. After years of exile, she is allowed to return to the Philippines, where she is still firmly in control and determined to breathe new life into the Marcos dynasty. A fascinating portrait of a power-hungry woman who is well aware that perception is more important than the truth.

conscience
The Painter and the Thief

Sometimes reality beats fiction: this is the improbable story of an artist who goes in search of the thief who stole her paintings. She manages to track him down and their meeting takes more than one unexpected turn. Director Benjamin Ree won the prize for "creative storytelling" at the renowned Sundance Film Festival.

international-selection
The Price of My Life

How much is a human life worth? Director Peter Scharf asks this particularly fascinating question in The Price of My Life. With a camera on his shoulder, he travels around the world to find equally fascinating answers. What is an arm worth? Or a liter of blood? And can we express a human life in euros?

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
The Price of Progress

What and more importantly who decides if something is safe to eat? What is the deal with genetically modified organisms? Is something "safe" as long as it has not been proven to be dangerous? Or vice versa: only safe when it has been proven there is zero danger? Who determines this? Not so much food experts, but an extensive lobby network of business people and politicians.

conscience
The Prophet and the Space Aliens

In December 1973 Claude Vorilhon meets a UFO with space creatures for the first time, who came to earth especially for him. Because he gets the assignment to spread an important message. Claude changes his name to Raël and establishes a new atheistic religion, based on science. A religion where free love and total pacifism is central which has him as the new messiah.

spectrum
The Reason I Jump

13-year-old Japanese teenager Naoki has a special type of autism and does not speak. He still finds a way to communicate, though. Based on his book, this surprising documentary takes you on a fascinating journey in which Naoki and five other people on the spectrum discover what autism means to them.

international-selection
Touching Infinity

Rebecca, Fernand and Delphine know the end is near. Dying has become a part of their daily lives. Touching Infinity captures their last weeks. Beyond the fear and sorrow, they take us on a journey, carried by love, gratitude and deep connection. Without denying how serious the topic is, Touching Infinity is a film about hope and lightness during the final stages of life. From the maker of 'feel my love' comes an exceptional, warm film about the comforting beauty and power of saying goodbye.

belgian-selection
Traveling While Black

What is it like to travel through America as a black person in the 20th century? What are the possible risks and the places to be avoided. And the other hand, where can you enjoy tasty food and a decent bed?

short-docs
virtual-reality
Trials of money

An unusual court case concerning money. Director Christophe Meierhans invites the audience to participate in the ultimate lawsuit. Various testimonials try to answer the question: is money guilty or not? The people in the audience can judge, become a prosecutor, defender and jury. A controversial theater experience that can radically change your view on and your attitude towards money.

it-amp-039-s-the-economy-stupid
VAF Dag

The Flemish Audiovisual Fund (VAF) is the beating heart of the Flemish film industry. The presentation of its annual report by intendant Erwin Provoost will take place at DOCVILLE.

docville-academy
VDB. Ik ben god niet

Franck Vandenbroucke is een legende in de wielerwereld. Door zijn uitgesproken karakter en indrukwekkende prestaties viel hij al in zijn jonge jaren op. Maar zakelijke problemen, ruzies en een verslaving staan zijn succes steeds meer in de weg. Een beklijvend verhaal over een winnaar die verloor in het leven.

docville-canvas
Victoria

In the Southern California desert lies a city that was never finished: California City was supposed to become as big as Los Angeles, but today it is unfinished and deserted. It is a place that reeks of failure. A place of shattered dreams, where people are stranded in search of a new and better life. It is home to Lashay, a young man who tries to avoid the disappointing, harsh reality by withdrawing completely into a fantasy world.

belgian-selection
VR DOCS - Through a Black Lens

Virtual Reality (VR) is a rewarding medium for documentarians: it offers an unmatchable experience that literally drops the viewer in an unknown reality. This year DOCVILLE selected three short documentaries that submerge you in the reality that black men and women experienced, both past and present.

virtual-reality
Vranckx en de Nomaden

Veelbelovende jonge, Vlaamse storytellers trekken de wereld in. Elk met hun eigen drijfveer en persoonlijke aanpak maken ze - onder het ervaren oog van de vranckx-redactie- een documentaire over een stukje van de wereld.

docville-canvas
We Believe in Dinosaurs

In the US, there is a staggeringly large group of creationists who take the Bible’s creation story quite literally. They believe the earth is 6,000 years old, that there is no such thing as evolution and that fossils are fake. To prove their vision, they are working on a megalomaniac project: their very own "natural history" museum in which dinosaurs lived simultaneously with humans and - consequently - were also aboard Noah's Ark.

spectrum
Wrinkles The Clown

"No one was hiring me when I was just a regular clown, I thought - maybe I'll give it a little edge". If your children are really naughty, just say threaten them with a visit from Wrinkles the Clown. A single phone call can turn your birthday party into a horror movie. But who is Wrinkles in real life? Michael Nichols finds out in his wildly exciting and very surprising documentary.

spectrum

Overzicht programma

filter

#UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump

2040

A Tuba to Cuba

Accused no. 2: Walter Sisulu

Adolescents

Aileen, diary of a Serial Killer

All Inclusive

American Factory

Annapolis, Giant City

Ashe '68

Bertha en de wolfram

Bile

Blasphemy: The Story of Asia Bibi

Boom Bust Boom

Bring it to the People - The Film about the Brussels Jazz Orchestra

Busking

Call Confessions

Canvas Avond

Capital in the 21st Century

Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

Cinema Pameer

Circus zonder tent

Citizen K

Class Action Park

Collective

Crazy Money

CRISPR: Holy grail or Pandora’s box?

Cunningham

D+ Development cooperation 2.0

Day of the Doc

De Slag om Leuven

De weg die voor me ligt

Diego Maradona

Earth

Een redelijk Leven

Faith

Feels Good Man

Fien, Jip & Fien

For Eunice

Gods of Molenbeek

Heartbound: A Different Kind of Love Story

Honeyland

How You Really Make Decisions

Human Nature

Hunting for Hedonia

iHuman

Ik schilder met schilders

Infosessie Cultuurloket SABAM

Is there a future for investigative journalism?

Jawline

Ket & Doc

King of the Cruise

Kongo

KU Leuven Science Café - Crimes of the kitchen table

Kurt & Courtney

La Cordillera de los Suenos

Leave the Bus Through the Broken Window

Marianne & Leonard - Words of Love

Masterclass Virginie Surdej

Mastertalk Nick Broomfield

Mega Sexy Robot Dinosaur

Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements

Mother

Mrs F.

My Father and Me

My Rembrandt

My Year of Living Mindfully

Ni Juge Ni Soumise

Nos Jeunesses Perdues

Nudgeville Seminar

Overseas

Papamagneet

Passion: Zwischen Revolte und Resignation

Piketty and the history of inequality

Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies

Radio Felix

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project

Ring of Dreams