DOCVILLE Archief – Programme

DOCVILLE - Archives 2005-2026

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Belgian competition

The Belgian selection looks much further than its name suggests. From the Texan Uvalde, to the Indonesian Sumba, from the South Pole to the inside of a kidney stone; the past film year delivered a very diverse set of documentaries. Let yourself be surprised, enthralled and perhaps even composted. Both gravediggers and diehard polar climbers will find their stories in this selection. At the end of the festival, the most convincing film may call itself Best Belgian Documentary.

2050

Kristof Van den Bergh, Eric Goens  120 min.

Deep in Antarctica, where melting ice symbolises the looming climate crisis, Belgian climate scientists are mapping out - under extreme conditions - the alarming consequences of global warming. Their inquiry is a continuation of scientific research in the region, started by Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache in 1898 (lees meer)

Ecology  Historical  Science

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sofie Benoot  80 min.

The analysis of a removed kidney stone sets in motion - almost like the first stone in a domino series - a philosophical detective story about the forgotten world of stones. They are one of the most fundamental and at the same time one of the most neglected building elements of our world. A hypnotic essay film by (lees meer)

Roadmovie  Visually stunning

Compostez-moi

Gazelle Gaignaire  87 min.

What if, after we take our last breath, we could transform our bodies into fertile soil, to nourish life and become a tree? In Europe, the demand to study, validate and legalise the composting of human remains is getting increasingly louder. In the United States, this alternative to cremation and burial is already (lees meer)

Ecology  Nature

Fly - Beyond the Spectrum

Steven Janssens  73 min.

When Brian, Jason, Jules and Kieran got the label 'autism' or 'disability' in their youth, they lost a lot of self-confidence. But they continued to grow and, as twenty-somethings, they are now at a crossroads in their lives: What future lies ahead of them? Will they find independence, a job, a partner, and (lees meer)

Healthcare  Portrait  Psychology

Kouté Vwa

Maxime Jean-Baptiste  76 min.

Thirteen-year-old Melrick is spending his summer holidays with his grandmother Nicole in Cayenne, Guyana. He loves it there, but during his visit, his love for music evokes memories of his uncle Lucas, who was a drummer as well and who died tragically 11 years earlier. Faced with the grief of his family (lees meer)

Family  Portrait

Les Dames Blanches

Camille Ghekiere  61 min.

Simeon, a young Dominican man, begins an internship as a caregiver at a retirement home in Ghent, Belgium. His approach to elderly care sets him apart from his colleagues, who don't quite see things his way. As he builds a warm connection with some endearing old ladies, he begins, strengthened by the advice (lees meer)

Healthcare  Portrait  Society

Slave Island

Jeremy Kewuan, Jimmy Hendrickx  94 min.

Age-old cultural norms on the Indonesian island of Sumba lead to the expectation that the Ata community must work as slaves for the Maramba people. Activist Jeremy Kewuan sets out to combat this slave trade and meets an enslaved eight-year-old girl. With the help of a woman who was once forced into (lees meer)

Asia  Investigative journalism

Standby

Daphne van den Blink  70 min.

Aboard the navy ship Louise-Marie, a new group of sailors face the challenges of this floating micro society, far away from home. They learn what it means to be on standby every day, in all conditions, through all kinds of weather.

Portrait  Society  War

The Bad Guy

Louise Van Assche, Kwinten Gernay  69 min.

Uvalde, Texas. A year after a school shooting in her neighborhood, Belgian Louise is looking for a school for her daughter. The gun epidemic has become so intense that American schools are now steering away from prevention and towards preparation. Mass killings seem to be accepted as part of the American (lees meer)

Society  USA

Une femme qui part

Ellen Vermeulen  82 min.

In 1952, Marie-Louise Chapelle was the first French woman to reach an untouched Himalayan peak. Years later, filmmaker Ellen Vermeulen is following in her footsteps; literally and figuratively. Inspired by Chapelle's extraordinary archive, Vermeulen in turn traverses inhospitable snow landscapes while reflecting on the (lees meer)

Amazing stories  Historical  Sport

Belgian Selection

In the Belgian Selection category, DOCVILLE presents some of the best documentaries made in Belgium. This year, two subjects are featured that, at first glance, have nothing to do with each other, yet both play an important role in the history of Belgium: cycling champion Eddy Merckx and a series of mysterious appearances in the Belgian sky at the end of the 1980s.

Merckx

Christophe Hermans, Boris Tilquin  84 min.

In the 60s and 70s, Eddy Merckx dominated the top of international cycling. Directors Boris Tilquin and Christophe Hermans sketch an intimate portrait of Merckx as an athlete and cycling champion, but especially of the man behind de 'Kannibaal'.

Historical  Portrait  Sport

Ufo's boven België

Bram Conjaerts, Maarten Bernaerts  90 min.

In the late 1980s, Belgium is captivated by a series of mysterious appearances in the sky. Thousands of people believe they have seen an illuminated, triangle-shaped object at night and an increasing number of people start believing in the existence of extraterrestrial life. The reports are being investigated by (lees meer)

Funny  Historical  Thrilling

International Competition

The international selection compiles documentaries from all around the world that are more than worthy of the label 'author driven documentary'. Sometimes political, always relevant, and visually stunning. In short: more than worthy of the big screen.

Flophouse America

Monica Strømdahl  78 min.

Twelve-year-old Mikal grows up in a family characterised by alcoholism, disorder and chaos, but also genuine love and the hope for a better life. Mikal is articulate and does well in school, but his parents' poverty and alcohol abuse prevent them from giving him what he needs. Mikal's greatest wish is for his parents (lees meer)

Coming of Age  Family  Society

Mistress Dispeller

Elizabeth Lo  94 min.

Wang Zhenxi is a professional 'mistress dispeller'. She is hired by a woman who discovered her husband is unfaithful. Not to catch her husband in the act and thus facilitate a divorce, but to make sure the affair ends and the marriage is saved. This multi-award-winning documentary follows a real case of (lees meer)

Asia  Funny  Society

Palingdans

Hans Dortmans  72 min.

The egg of an eel is perhaps the rarest commodity in the world. After all, no one has ever found one. The enigma surrounding their reproduction already preoccupied Aristotle - his guess was that they sprouted spontaneously from the mud - but has yet to be understood. Scientists and enthusiasts from all over the (lees meer)

Economy  Nature

Songs of Slow Burning Earth

Olha Zhurba  95 min.

Immerse yourself in one of the most complete documentaries on the war in Ukraine. Filmed over two years, this audiovisual diary reveals the heartbreaking tragedies without being too gruesome: how panic, outrage and horror of the first weeks of the Russian invasion slowly turn into the numbing silence of acceptance of (lees meer)

Visually stunning  War

Spermworld

Lance Oppenheim  84 min.

Discover the underground circuit of unofficial sperm donors in this latest stranger-than-fiction documentary from DOCVILLE winner Lance Oppenheim. Get to know the online marketplace for sperm and meet the man who travels the States to celebrate the birthdays of his, by now, 150 children.

Amazing stories  Funny  USA

The Gardener, the Buddhist & the Spy

Håvard Bustnes  95 min.

Is he a spy, a double spy or a triple spy? For five years, journalist Rob Moore won the trust of anti-asbestos activists until a major scandal revealed that he is actually a spy for the asbestos industry mafia. Refusing to be labelled a cynical crook, Rob contacts two experienced British journalists to prove that (lees meer)

Amazing stories  Healthcare  Investigative journalism

The Propagandist

Luuk Bouwman  112 min.

Once called the 'Film King', today he is best known as the 'Dutch Leni Riefenstahl'. Once a successful filmmaker, Jan Theunissen decided to take a dark, propaganda-oriented path. As head of the Film Department of the Dutch Nazi Party and the SS, he was a driving force behind the Nazi propaganda machine. (lees meer)

Art  Historical  Politics  War

The Treasure Hunter

Giacomo Gex  84 min.

Jack, like his father, is a gold digger. Not in the Wild West, but in the Philippine archipelago, where the Japanese Imperial Army is said to have buried a legendary war loot during WWII. They have been looking for the treasure for so long and have already spent so much money and time that they simply cannot stop. (lees meer)

Amazing stories  Family  Portrait  Thrilling

The Wolves always come at Night

Gabrielle Brady  96 min.

It is spring in the Mongolian steppe where young nomadic couple Davaa and Zaya live with their four children and look after their animals. One fateful day, a fierce storm hits the family's camp and they discover that half their herd has not survived. They make the painful decision to leave for the city: Davaa has to (lees meer)

Asia  Nature  Visually stunning

Viktor

Olivier Sarbil  91 min.

Viktor, a young deaf man, watches warily during the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A fan of samurai films and raised on stories of war, he romanticises the soldier's life and enlists in the army. Time after time, he is rejected and has to find his place in a war he cannot hear. For the special sound (lees meer)

Art  Portrait  Visually stunning  War

ScienceVille

The stars align for ScienceVille this year: not only will there be a partial solar eclipse during the festival - resulting in Space Day - there is also a rock-solid selection of films about pseudoscience. Why have we been fascinated by horoscopes for thousands of years? And why does the urge to visit a medium persist for generations in the case of some people? Is all of this, after all, rooted in truth? Or could it be considered as the oldest form of therapy? In addition to this themed series, you can visit ScienceVille for in-depth panel discussions, the strongest science documentaries, intriguing short films and a broad selection for children.

AI Quiz

Amai! Test your knowledge about AI during DOCVILLE's first-ever quiz. Do you know what AI can already do? Distinguish fact from fiction and maybe even go home with the amai! game.

Artificial Intelligence  Funny  Science

How Deep is Your Love

Eleanor Mortimer  99 min.

70% of our planet is hidden in the mysterious deep sea, but the time to discover this last wilderness on earth is relentlessly ticking away. With deep-sea mining looming, biologists race against the clock to explore this unknown world full of enchanting creatures and ecosystems before it is too late. A breathtaking (lees meer)

Nature  Science

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Niobe Thompson  84 min.

Two decades ago, Eske Willerslev had a radical idea: Could DNA, the fragile chemical code of life, survive for thousands of years in frozen sediment? Fellow scientists declared him crazy, but the Danish biologist proved everyone wrong with a stunning triumph: he recovered a lost world from a spoonful of dirt.

Portrait  Science

I Hope This Helps!

Daniel M. Freed  51 min.

Artificial intelligence will destroy humanity, at least according to investigative journalist Daniel Freed. He is searching for ways to defeat AI in a future war between man and machine. To help him do this, he - ironically - uses AI, in the form of a chatbot that he visualises as an adorable blue stuffed (lees meer)

Artificial Intelligence  Funny  Science

If Pigs Could Talk

Miki Mistrati  76 min.

An international group of scientists is using AI to decipher the communication patterns of pigs in different environments: what do their squeals and grunts tell us about their mood? Follow the impressive process of this large-scale research and get an answer to the question: are pigs happier at an organic farm (lees meer)

Economy  Nature  Science

Introductie in de astrofotografie

Art  Astronomy  Science

Life and other Problems

Max Kestner  99 min.

A young, perfectly healthy giraffe is killed and fed to lions by a zoo in Copenhagen. This rather shocking news about the death of giraffe Marius went viral ten years ago. For director Max Kestner, it is the first domino in a series of successive existential questions: What is the meaning of life and death? Does (lees meer)

Nature  Philosophy  Science

Lupi Nostri

Samer Angelone  82 min.

For or against the wolf? Shortly before his retirement, an Italian professor feels torn in the polarised debate between supporters and opponents of wolves. He studies wolves with all his heart and wants to save these magnificent predators, but also understands the concerns of people like sheep herdsman Giorgio who (lees meer)

Ecology  Economy  Nature  Science

Not in My Country

Stijn Van Baarle  52 min.

This screening is cancelled.

Ecology  Economy  Politics  Society

Opening Night ScienceVille

Science

Science Pitch 2025

A unique selection from the various researchers from the four largest Flemish universities. During the Science Pitch, researchers from KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, UAntwerp and Ghent University pitch their projects. In the room: a group of filmmakers who are eager to get started with their research for a (lees meer)

Art  Astronomy  Healthcare  Science

Science Pitch Docu's

During the Science Pitch 2024, filmmakers and researchers joined forces for the second time to make short science documentaries. They got to work with a budget of 60,000 euros and proudly present the result during the opening night of ScienceVille. Het wonder daaronder and De dag dat het zonlicht (lees meer)

Healthcare  Historical  Nature  Science

Signals of Life

Leandro Picarella  105 min.

In the idyllic Italian mountain village of Lignan stands an astronomical observatory. Astrophysicist Paolo Calcidese takes up residence there as the only winter resident, but a technical problem forces him to leave the solitude behind to focus on something perhaps even more unattainable for him than the distant stars: (lees meer)

Astronomy  Psychology

Space Chasers

Dr. Steven Swancoat  52 min.

Taking astonishingly beautiful pictures of the universe. Those who believe this is only for professional astronomers, are wrong. Get inspired by Dr. Steven Swancoat, gynaecologist and amateur astrophotographer, who takes you to meet other enthusiasts from around the world who take incredible pictures of galaxies, (lees meer)

Art  Astronomy  Science

Starman

Robert Stone  85 min.

Are we alone in the universe? For more than half a century, NASA engineer and science fiction bestselling author Gentry Lee has explored every aspect of this question in the fields of space science and human imagination. At the age of 82, he shares his final conclusion on this fascinating issue with very infectious (lees meer)

Astronomy  Portrait  Science

The Shadow Scholars

Eloïse King  98 min.

Patricia Kingori, professor at Oxford University, investigates the hidden multi-billion dollar 'fake essay' industry. Her investigation leads her to tens of thousands of so-called 'shadow scholars' in Kenya: underemployed yet highly educated people that try to make ends meet by writing essays for (lees meer)

Africa  Economy  Science

The Thinking Game

Greg Kohs  83 min.

Will making a machine that really thinks ever be possible? Demis Hassabis, the father of Artificial Intelligence, takes you on a fascinating journey where AI is much more than just a handy tool that can do one specific task well. As the founder and CEO of DeepMind, he and his team are on a quest to (lees meer)

Artificial Intelligence  Portrait

The Universe in a Grain of Sand

Mark Levinson  73 min.

What can science learn from art, and art from science? Art and science are not each other's opposites, but rather allies in our attempt to make sense of the world. Our perception (and understanding) of the world is determined by our ability to observe and represent it. Award-winning filmmaker and physicist (lees meer)

Art  Philosophy  Science

The Wise Old Owl

Quentin Porte  20 min.

A reconstruction of an extraordinary, real conversation with unexpected and far-reaching consequences for those involved. This film is based one-on-one on the transcription of the actual conversation in the summer of 2022.

Artificial Intelligence  Philosophy

ScienceVille for Kids

For all junior Marie Curies and young Einstein fans: ScienceVille for Kids is back. For two days, the Wagehuys is once again dedicated to all things scientific. Come discover for yourself what a solar eclipse looks like, take a trip around the moon or discover which Disney movies are scientifically possible. On March 29, there will once again be a festive reception at the opening film The Wild North Sea, children's champagne guaranteed.

Brightbox: experimenteer met elektriciteit

Chemiluminescentie

In this workshop, participants discover the magical phenomenon of glowing (chemical) reactions - chemiluminescence! In some hands-on experiments, they will explore how substances light up in the dark, just like fireflies and glow sticks, and learn where and how it occurs in nature - bioluminescence.

For kids  Science

De Onzichtbaren

Martijn Blekendaal  75 min.

There are children who have learned to make themselves invisible out of necessity, and they deserve their own superhero: the invisible one. Four stories about people who - for different reasons - developed the superpower to be invisible as children and an ode to their courage that deserves its own (lees meer)

Historical  Society  Visually stunning

De Spectaculaire Wetenschapsshow

During the spectacular science show, you get to see a wide range of exciting experiments and will discover the most important scientific rules. Become a real scientist yourself and discover simple, but really impressive experiments.

For kids  Funny  Science

De Wilde Noordzee

Mark Verkerk  89 min.

For lovers of Onze Natuur who like to take a leap into the deep. From plankton to basking sharks, seals to killer whales, the North Sea is home to an enormous collection of inhabitants. It is a mighty piece of nature, but it is also one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, and there's a ton (lees meer)

For kids  Nature  Science

Digi zandbak

Disney en Wetenschap

Can you lift someone up by the hair like Rapunzel does? Are squirrels really as smart as Chip and Dale? And are there better ways of finding someone if all you have is a shoe? Weatherwoman Jacotte Brokken and film journalist Robin Broos delve into hundred years of Disney to investigate whether fairy (lees meer)

For kids  Funny  Science

Donkere Geheimen van het Heelal

Enjoy the chemistry between a physicist and an illustrator! Former physics professor Bert Vercnocke and his brother, illustrator Wide, take you with them into their dark universe. Discover the secrets of black holes and gravitational waves in this show full of schwung, drawings and music.

Astronomy  For kids  Science

Een trip rond de maan - Escape room

In this escape room, participants will have the opportunity to step into the shoes of real astronaut-scientists. They will have to work together, think logically and solve puzzles to launch the rocket, navigate safely through space, and ultimately take a clear, sharp picture of the back of the moon.

Astronomy  For kids  Science  Thrilling

Expeditie Exoplaneet 2.0

Besides the eight planets in the solar system, there are thousands of planets orbiting around other stars, called exoplanets. In this children's lecture, we will visit some exoplanets where researchers have discovered something crazy.

Astronomy  For kids  Science

Haargel maken

Het mysterie van de reuzenvogels

Bertrand Loyer  53 min.

Elephant birds of Madagascar and Moas of New Zealand may sound like creatures from a fantasy book, but these giant cousins of ostriches once really existed. Some weighed up to 800 kilos, others were nearly four metres tall. But they all had one thing in common: they could not fly. So how did these super-sized (lees meer)

Historical  Nature  Science

Lego Galaxy

Maak je eigen bijenhotel

Learn more about insects and how we can preserve them for future generations. Build your own little bee hotel and find out how an entomologist preserves insects. Whether you're a nature lover or just curious, get ready to see the world of tiny creatures in a whole new light!

For kids  Nature  Science

Maak je eigen bioplastics

Every hour, an amount of plastic that could fill 11 Olympic swimming pools ends up in the sea. It hardly breaks down or breaks down very slowly and can float with the currents for years. It falls apart into smaller and smaller pieces, microplastics, that have harmful effects on life in our ocean. One of the (lees meer)

For kids  Science

Magnetisme

Discover the invisible powers of magnets! From floating objects to mysterious force fields, in this workshop participants will learn all about magnets and get to work with different types of magnetic materials!

For kids  Science

Spacetime

Jeroen Hoekstra, Maureen Voerstermans, Gideon Koekoek  20 min.

For kids  Science

Zonsverduistering @ DOCVILLE!

It was written in the stars: on Saturday, March 29, a partial solar eclipse will take place during ScienceVille. Enter: the Day of Space. For children, there will be shows, workshops, experiments and themed lectures that day. Starting at 10am, everyone is welcome to watch this rare phenomenon with DOCVILLE solar (lees meer)

Astronomy  For kids  Science

Pseudo Science

An Honest Liar

Tyler Measom, Justin Weinstein  92 min.

Renowned magician James Randi revealed himself as one of the biggest sceptics of the paranormal. His most famous opponent was ‘spoon-bender’ Uri Geller. Randi's funny and fascinating life story shows that we are all susceptible to deception. Strangely, even ‘The Amazing’ Randi himself.

Portrait  Pseudo Science  Science  USA

Look into my Eyes

Lana Wilson  105 min.

An intimate look into the sessions of seven New York psychics with their clients. This remarkable film reveals with great empathy that consulting a medium is not so much about believing or not, but about a deep human desire for closure in the face of feelings of loss, regret, loneliness or doubt. Is contacting a medium (lees meer)

Pseudo Science  Psychology  USA

They're Here

Daniel Claridge, Pacho Velez  74 min.

A light-hearted, quirky film about people who are convinced they have encountered aliens. With great empathy, genuine curiosity and light-hearted disbelief, the filmmakers listen to ‘witnesses’ talk candidly about their experiences, which are brought onto the screen in creative ways.

Amazing stories  Pseudo Science  USA

Visit our own Fortune Teller

DOCVILLE has its own fortune teller! Following Wishing on a Star and Look into My Eyes, you can now even have your future predicted. Completely free.

Waan versus Wetenschap - De live podcast van Gezondheid en Wetenschap

Dogs can smell cancer. Gin makes calories go up in smoke. Chocolate makes you smarter. Hormones extend your life. Smear chest rub on the soles of your feet to combat the flu... Is any, all, or none of this true? The Gezondheid en Wetenschap podcast searches for answers.

Funny  Healthcare  Pseudo Science  Science

Wishing on a Star

Peter Kerekes  99 min.

When you spend the day of your birthday under exactly the right star sign, all your wishes come true. That is at least what Luciana, an astrologer from Naples, promises her clients. In conversations, she listens to their desires, then sends them on a journey to a specific destination to be ‘reborn’ under a new sky. (lees meer)

Funny  Pseudo Science  Psychology

Spectrum

Spectrum brings together festival favorites and unknown gems. From education to music, from politics to failed detectives; DOCVILLE is pleased to introduce you to this must-see mix.

CLOSING NIGHT: Zlatan's Nose

Nils Toftenow, Olle Toftenow, Mathias Rosberg  84 min.

A downright hilarious documentary centred on a curious private detective who is followed in an even more curious true-crime case. When football player Zlatan Ibrahimović was still the biggest hero in the Swedish city of Malmö, he was given a statue there, until one night, the nose of the statue is stolen. Detective (lees meer)

Funny  Thrilling

Een andere school

Johan Van Schaeren  122 min.

1975. A group of young parents, displeased with the classical school system, found a new school from scratch. The interest in a different kind of education proves so great that they soon have to expand. They end up in an old farmhouse where, for the first time in Flanders, they put Freinet pedagogy into practice.

Coming of Age  Society

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

Raoul Peck  105 min.

In 1967, black South African photographer Ernest Cole shocked the world with his photobook House of Bondage that revealed the horrors of apartheid for all the world to see. The work became one of the most important photobooks of the 20th century, yet Cole fell into oblivion. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul (lees meer)

Africa  Art  Historical  USA

Facing War

Tommy Gulliksen  100 min.

For the first time, a filmmaker was given access to NATO's ‘war room’, where Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is trying to secure more support for Ukraine. In a world where populist leaders are mostly in the spotlight, the film follows with Stoltenberg a different kind of leader who wants to achieve his goals (lees meer)

Politics  Portrait  War

Ket&Docs 2025

Ket & Doc 2025 launches yet another batch of short documentaries that give you an insight into the world of real children. They all face their small or big challenge: dancing without shame, deejaying with a grandpa who forgets, stopping bedwetting or learning to love their hair. Be surprised by this moving (lees meer)

For kids  Portrait  Society

Men of War

Billy Corben, Jen Gatien  98 min.

Imagine: you are hired to overthrow the Venezuelan president, but you never get the promised money and your plans are leaked a few days before. Anyone else would abandon the plot, but not ex-commander Jordan Gourdeau. He looks back on the events of 2020 himself in this story that is too silly to be made up.

Amazing stories  USA

Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird

Nicolas Jack Davies  127 min.

Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala not only make music history - with bands like At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta - but also traverse an intense journey along the many struggles their unprecedented friendship entails. A remarkable, compelling and inspiring story, even for those who don't know their (lees meer)

Music

Paul Anka: His Way

John Maggio  98 min.

From teen idol to iconic songwriter, Paul Anka has been one of the world's most prolific musicians for seven decades and he is still going strong. A remarkably candid film - part road movie, part biography - about ànd featuring the iconic Canadian musician who constantly managed to reinvent himself in an ever-changing (lees meer)

Music  Portrait

Piece by Piece

Morgan Neville  93 min.

The life of musician/producer Pharrell Williams made entirely out of... LEGO. Brick by brick, Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville builds the life of the artist behind big hits such as Happy and Drop It Like It's Hot.

Music  USA  Visually stunning

Sugarcane

Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat  107 min.

A disturbing investigation into the abuse and deaths of children at an Canadian boarding school for children that are part of the Indigenous population of the country. Sugarcane finally brings painful and long ignored horrors to the surface. An epic cinematic portrait of the resilience of Indigenous (lees meer)

Historical  Society

The Bibi Files

Alexis Bloom  115 min.

An unsettling account of the police interrogations of Benjamin Netanyahu, who was charged with bribery and corruption. Using leaked footage of those interrogations, this disturbing documentary reveals a disconcerting picture of an ‘emperor’ and his family, who are particularly haughty towards their own country's (lees meer)

Politics  Society

The Liberated Broom

Coline Grando  88 min.

In the early 1970s, the cleaners of UCLouvain did something extraordinary: they fired their bosses and set up their own cleaning cooperative, Le Balai Libéré. 50 years later, today's UCL cleaners meet the workers of those days and wonder: is working without a boss still an option? Or was it only (lees meer)

Economy  Historical

Outside the dox

In a documentary landscape where hybrid methods are gradually becoming the norm, there are documentaries that still manage to keep reinventing themselves. Think: Hamlet in a video game. These films challenge norms and flout genres. For anyone looking for the better film experiment, try it Outside the Dox.

Architecton

Victor Kossakovsky  97 min.

A visual symphony about concrete and stone. Slow-motion shots in which falling rocks and stones seem to flow like rivers, the silent witnesses of ancient temple ruins, recently bombed buildings or houses destroyed by earthquakes, immense quarries where building materials are mined with brute force. And, in addition, an (lees meer)

Economy  Nature  Visually stunning

Cleaning & Cleansing

Thomas Fürhapter  92 min.

From the impressive automation of an industrial laundromat to the smallest bulb of a majestic antique chandelier being dusted with a feather, from a space station being vacuumed to an operating table made sterile again after being used. You name it, and it will be cleaned at some point, by someone. A (lees meer)

Funny  Society

Grand Theft Hamlet

Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls  89 min.

A complete performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet within the computer game Grand Theft Auto. Two unemployed actors come up with this crazy idea during the lockdown. It soon becomes clear that rehearsals are difficult when your cast is being massacred, and location hunting takes on a completely new meaning. A (lees meer)

Art  Funny

Johannes Is Zijn Naam — Rubens

A dose of school television on LSD: musician Johannes Is His Name performs a new live soundtrack to Belgian film pioneer Henri Storck's award-winning black-and-white documentary Rubens (1948).

Reas

Lola Arias  82 min.

In this surprising blend between musical and documentary, a diverse cast of (former) convicts re-enact important moments from their time in prison. In an empty prison in Buenos Aires, they relive their real lives as fiction and, through fantasy and imagination, invent a possible future for themselves.

Funny  Music  Society  Visually stunning

Zodiac Killer Project

Charlie Shackleton  92 min.

What if, as a director, you want to make a documentary about the Zodiac Killer, but can't get the copyright permission for the book you want to base your film on? With a great sense of humour and still surprising revelations, Shackleton describes what his film about the Zodiac Killer would have looked like. An engaging (lees meer)

Amazing stories  Thrilling  USA

RockVille

For one day, the legendary Depot becomes part of the festival. Rockville stands for a marathon of music documentaries: from hip-hop to EBM, to the origins of Led Zeppelin. You can unwind for a bit at Ellis Park, the animal paradise of Bad Seed Warren Ellis. Music fans, unite!

A Hiphop Minute

Pascal Garnier  87 min.

In 1986, a Dutch film crew travels to New York to make a documentary about hip-hop. The presenter - a young Marcel Vanthilt - gets young, up-and-coming rappers like LL COOL J, Run DMC and Grandmaster Flash in front of the camera. 35 years later, A Hiphop Minute returns to 1986 New York and looks back with the (lees meer)

Historical  Music

Becoming Led Zeppelin

Bernard MacMahon  121 min.

For the first time, Led Zeppelin themselves collaborated on a documentary about the legendary band. An amazing journey through the music scene of the 1960s, the meeting of four incredible artists in the summer of 1968 and the subsequent unstoppable rise of one of the most groundbreaking rock bands of all time.

Electronic Body Movie E.B.M.

Pietro Anton  54 min.

In this visual journey through EBM's iconic sound, the pioneers look back at how they shaped and developed their music. A selection of major contemporary DJs and producers narrate how they are still inspired and influenced by them. Filled with rare archive videos, unreleased live footage and exclusive interviews, (lees meer)

Music

Ellis Park

Justin Kurzel  106 min.

Warren Ellis has been one of Nick Cave's infamous Bad Seeds for over thirty years. The past decades, he's roamed international stages with his iconic violin and ditto beard. Less known is that he is also one of the founders of Ellis Park, a shelter for abused and trafficked animals. Not only do the (lees meer)

Music  Nature

Jean-Marie Aerts / JMX

Daniel Demoustier  20 min.

When Daniel Demoustier began making a film about Jean-Marie Aerts' career on the occasion of his 70th birthday, nobody could have possibly foreseen that Jean-Marie would fall seriously ill that same year. Yet Jean-Marie continued to make music and Daniel continued to follow Jean-Marie until he left us on (lees meer)

Music  Portrait

TOPICS

Films that take a critical look at the world, dare to ask questions and don't avoid hot topics, that's what TOPICS stands for. Widen your horizon and feel free to engage in conversation afterwards; inspiration enough.

An American Pastoral

Auberi Edler  118 min.

Who decides what our children learn and read in school? Zooming in on the microcosm of a rural Pennsylvania town, this sobering documentary shows how the future of a secular democracy in the US is under increasing pressure. Fierce debates over banned or compulsory books and curricula are becoming increasingly (lees meer)

Politics  Society  USA

Can't Feel Nothing

David Borenstein  81 min.

A ‘screen zombie’, ‘doomscrolling’, ‘brain rot’... We have invented wonderfully expressive words for the intensely empty, sedated feeling of total numbness that hours on social media gives us. Who is really pulling the strings when the Internet makes us angry, sad or just plain indifferent? And is (lees meer)

Psychology  Society

Made in Ethiopia

Xinyan Yu, Max Duncan  91 min.

In the middle of Ethiopia sits an immense Chinese business park employing 20,000 Ethiopian workers. Chinese businesswoman Motto faces big challenges when the park wants to expand a lot more. Meanwhile, many Ethiopians - like their country - are at a crossroads: should they choose industrialization or not?

Africa  Ecology  Economy

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

David Borenstein, Pavel Ilyich Talankin  90 min.

Primary school teacher Pavel is - as he himself states early on in the film - a ‘nobody’. Indeed, he is not the person you would spontaneously pick as the resistance hero who dares to take on the all-powerful and ruthless Vladimir Putin. And yet this insignificant but extremely likeable primary school teacher (lees meer)

Coming of Age  Politics  War

My Sextortion Diary

Patricia Franquesa  63 min.

What do you do when a hacker sends your nude photos to your friends, family, colleagues? Pati's world threatens to collapse when she is blackmailed online: pay up, or we'll send the photos to even more people. During her search for a solution, Pati discovers that her story is just one of many and exposes the (lees meer)

Society  Thrilling

My Stolen Planet

Farahnaz Sharifi  82 min.

Iranian Farah is forced by the strict regime in her country to distinguish between an indoor and an outdoor world. It is like living on two completely different planets. She can only be free on her private planet. In a cinematic diary, she combines her own footage with bought home videos from strangers to create (lees meer)

Asia  Historical  Politics

Russians at War

Anastasia Trofimova  129 min.

OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE REQUEST OF THE UKRAINIAN EMBASSY, THE FESTIVAL HAS DECIDED TO CANCEL THIS SCREENING.Read our full statement hereRussian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova gains unprecedented access to a battalion of the Russian army in Ukraine. Without any official permit, she earns the trust of the foot (lees meer)

War

The Governor

Danel Elpeleg  71 min.

An intriguing investigation into the director's grandfather's hidden past as ‘military governor for the control of Arab civilians’ after the founding of Israel. Personal and political history are closely intertwined as family secrets surface in this gripping historical narrative.

Politics  War

The Here Now Project

Greg Jacobs, Jon Siskel  76 min.

Climate change is happening here and now. A stunning visual diary about the impact climate change is already having on ordinary people around the world. Using footage taken by affected people around the world, this epic documentary makes its message overwhelmingly clear: it is happening here and now, and we are all in (lees meer)

Ecology  Visually stunning

The Last Republican

Steve Pink  90 min.

Why are there no (more) Republicans speaking out against Trump? Republican Adam Kinzinger - a conservative congressman since 2011 - was one of only 10 Republicans to hold Trump accountable after the storming of the Capitol. Director Steve Pink - who, as a left-wing Democrat, is at the very opposite end of (lees meer)

Funny  Politics  USA

Canvas Talks

As a documentary channel par excellence, VRT CANVAS sends an expert to a selection of films. Under the name VRT CANVAS Talks, they delve deeper into a series of currently relevant themes. From education to world politics: a VRT personality provides the necessary insight.

Björn Soenens over Trumps USA

As a documentary channel par excellence, VRT CANVAS sends an expert to a selection of films. Under the name VRT CANVAS Talks, they delve deeper into a series of currently relevant themes. For two presidential terms, Björn Soenens kept his finger on the pulse in the US as a correspondent for VRT (lees meer)

Politics  USA

Inge Vrancken over de staat (van) Israël

As a documentary channel par excellence, VRT CANVAS sends an expert to a selection of films. Under the name VRT CANVAS Talks, they delve deeper into a series of currently relevant themes. Middle East journalist Inge Vrancken has been specializing in politics in Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, among others, for 20 (lees meer)

Politics

Marijn Trio over de (on)eindige oorlog in Oekraïne

As a documentary channel par excellence, VRT CANVAS sends an expert to a selection of films. Under the name VRT CANVAS Talks, they delve deeper into a series of currently relevant themes. Marijn Trio provides the necessary context for Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The VRT specialist is mainly concerned (lees meer)

Politics  War

DOCVILLE PLUS

Whoever says DOCVILLE, doesn't just say films, but also says extensive framework. Besides introductions and conclusions, there are DOCVILLE+ sessions as well: at this point, the festival has made debates and panel discussions about currently relevant themes, related to programmed films, its trademark.

Can AI be (self) conscious?

Perhaps more fundamental than the question of whether AI can be self-aware is the definition of consciousness itself. Are only biological beings self-aware? For some people, there is a clear distinction between vertebrates and invertebrates, others show that even a mussel feels pain stimuli.

Artificial Intelligence  Philosophy  Science

De toekomst van het onderwijs in Vlaanderen.

In recent decades, education has gradually paid more attention to well-being, personal development, attention to personal interests and intrinsic motivation. The current government seems to want to shift the focus back to pure knowledge transfer and a top-down approach. Here and there, a connection is made between the (lees meer)

Society

To mine or not to Mine?

This screening is cancelled.

Ecology  Economy  Science

Wandeling langs Leuvense coöperaties

Economy  Society

Wat kunnen we leren van (of op) de Zuidpool?

For 2050, directors Eric Goens and Kristof Van Den Bergh and their crew headed for the South Pole. EOS journalist Ilse Boeren talks to Goens and Prof. Dr. Stef Lhermitte, experienced South Pole researcher. What does the future of Antarctica and consequently our entire planet look like? Will 2050 really be the dreaded (lees meer)

Ecology  Nature  Science

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is a rewarding medium for documentary filmmakers to transport their audiences to places they've never been. This year, VR takes you to a place most people, thankfully, find hard to imagine: a Ukrainian bunker.

Shelter

Sjors Swierstra, Ivanna Khitsinska  25 min.

Get an intimate look inside a Ukrainian bunker. You will experience the fragile conversations between pregnant women in an underground maternity ward in Kyiv, the heartbreaking funeral of a soldier and get to see how officers in barracks prepare to go to the front. Among the highlights is the breathtaking (lees meer)

War

DOCVILLE Academy

DOCVILLE not only wants to connect documentaries and audiences, but professionals can also intermingle at the festival. There are several master classes and networking opportunities for filmmakers and other members of the documentary sector.

Day of the Doc

The last day of the festival is traditionally reserved for the Day of the Doc, a day that takes stock of the documentary landscape today. This year, current themes such as social relevance and filmmaking with AI will be reviewed.

Het belang van documentaire: een maatschappelijke spiegel

A debate about the social relevance and need for (author driven) documentaries. How important are they for social image building? And what is the position of the (author driven) documentary in today's audiovisual landscape?

In gesprek met VRT CANVAS

Without documentaries, no VRT CANVAS. But how do they decide which documentaries will be aired when? And what is the channel's vision? Engage in a conversation with Luc Gommers (genre head of documentary at VRT CANVAS) and Simon Vrebos (responsible for documentary co-productions (lees meer)

SABAM Pitch

For decades, Sabam for Culture has been committed to the promotion, development and distribution of their audiovisual repertoire. The organization supports, for example, directors and/or screenwriters directly through a development grant. Filmmakers who want to be considered for that grant, pitch their (lees meer)

Sabam Avond

Sabam is the Belgian association of creators of all kinds. They manage the copyrights of audiovisual works, literature, music and the arts. Their support also makes numerous film productions possible each year. Both young talent and less young creators can count on their support. Discover Sabam-supported work (lees meer)

Arist in focus: Mark Levinson

Mark Levinson began his career as a theoretical physicist and later entered Hollywood through sound engineering. He collaborated on more than 40 films, including The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley. He eventually found his calling as a documentary director. As a matter of fact, his documentary Particle Fever (DOCVILLE 2014) is chronicled as the most successful scientific documentary of all time. The new Universe in a Grain of Sand is a summary of all his previous work. It is a synthesis of science and art, much like Levinson himself.

Mastertalk Mark Levinson - On Science (and) film

If you think the terms 'science documentary' and 'author's cinema' contradict each other, think again. In his master talk, Levinson explains in detail how art and science reinforce each other. Proof? His impressive oeuvre and the scientist-cum-filmmaker himself.

Art  Science

Particle Fever

Mark Levinson  99 min.

A nerve-wracking manhunt involving thousands of people, that lasts for years and for which the largest machine ever is built: this is not a hallucinatory movie script, but the intriguing story of the search for the Higgs particle by the world's leading physicists. The documentary follows this research from (lees meer)

Physics  Science

The Universe in a Grain of Sand

Mark Levinson  73 min.

Art  Philosophy  Science

Documentary Filmmaking and AI

That AI can do just about anything is obvious by now. Kaspar AI even provided the opening film for the latest edition of the IDFA festival. Producer and technical mastermind Mads Damsbo drops by for a conversation about AI and documentary making. What software is already out there? Where do we draw draw the line? In Isaac Asimov, a Message to the Future, the godfather of scifi gives an interview about our future, but: he doesn't do it himself, a deepfake version of the author proclaims Asimov's message. What else can AI do? And what does the future look like?

About a Hero

Piotr Winniewicz  85 min.

“Not in another 4,500 years will a computer create a film as good as one of mine,” claimed famous filmmaker Werner Herzog eight years ago. Filmmaker Piotr Winiewicz - with Herzog's permission - took up the challenge. He used Herzog's oeuvre as input for an AI system and commissioned it to write a (lees meer)

Isaac Asimov, a message to the future

Mathias Théry  55 min.

Isaac Asimov, the godfather of science fiction, speaks to you personally from the past. Or at least his deepfake alter ego who, in this unique film, talks about his predictions published in more than five hundred works between 1950 and 1980. Self-driving cars, the arrival of technological gadgets and (lees meer)

Art  Astronomy  Portrait  Science

Masterclass AI and documentary filmmaking

Mads Damsbo has been working at the intersection of technology and cinema for over a decade. In addition to his role as a producer, he has delved into AI as a tool for artists and filmmakers and was at the cradle of Kaspar AI, the tool that made About a Hero possible.