Festival director Ola Staszel is introducing a new section called “Fokus Ost”, which will bolster eastern German perspectives in documentary filmmaking. This marks the addition of a further section alongside “Positions” to expand DOK Leipzig in Staszel’s first edition of the festival.

“The voices from the eastern part of our country are not always heard. Giving them greater exposure in a place like Leipzig and at a festival with such an eventful history marked by profound political upheavals is something that should be expected,” says Staszel. “The films being screened originate here, but their relevance extends further. We hope that they will reveal their discursive power, particularly through dialogue with our international audience.”

Curator Grit Lemke, a filmmaker, author and former programming director at DOK Leipzig, adds: “It’s about filling a void, about correcting perceptions and providing alternate narratives. It’s about asking why the variety of eastern Germany isn’t reflected in what’s seen or told – and who makes that decision. It’s about self-reflection – in the face of profound changes.”

The feature-length films tell, among other things, of the student protest in Rostock against the closure of the branch of the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts during the period of German reunification (“The Class of 1990”), the stories of two former contract workers from Vietnam who were employed in the GDR (“Uncle Thuận”) and a garden that becomes a bright spot within a concrete housing estate in Schwerin (“Garden of Hope”). While one of the short films takes us to the eponymous “Silicon Saxony”, “Ten to Twenty Slag Heaps” is a cinematic, associative exploration connecting the landscape, history, legends and identity of the Mansfeld region.

Four other films in this section will be entered in the German Documentary Film Competition and will be announced on 8 October.

Eight of the total of ten documentaries will have their world premieres at the 69th edition of the festival. These include this year’s opening film: Ina Borrmann’s “Good Evening, Beautiful” completes the new section.

The film’s director, who was born in Saxony, met several protagonists of a 1977 collection of interviews by Maxie Wander titled “Guten Morgen, du Schöne”, and interviewed them again. Wander’s book had left its mark on generations, and it remains one of the most influential works in German literature. Then as now, the women – originally anonymous, now using their real names – reflect quite openly on their lifestyles, work, relationships, the GDR era and the present day, their families, their sexuality, their age and their place in society. By speaking with radical candour about matters that are supposedly private, “Good Evening, Beautiful” once again raises important questions about living in a patriarchy, questions that have lost none of their relevance since the book was first published.

To coincide with the festival’s official opening on 26 October at the Schauspiel Leipzig, there will be a public screening of “Good evening, Beautiful” at 20.30 in the East Hall of Leipzig Central Station. Admission is free.

The section will also include the DOK Talk “Eastern German Perspectives in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Volkshochschule Leipzig at 16:00 on 30 October, which is being organised in collaboration with the weekly newspaper “der Freitag”. How are eastern Germany and the realities of life there represented in documentary films? What obstacles do filmmakers face? And which films make it onto the big screen, onto television and onto streaming platforms? In conversation with guests of this edition of the festival, DOK Leipzig aims to take stock of the current situation and open it up for debate. The talk will be moderated by Barbara Schweizerhof, film editor at “der Freitag”. This event is also open to the public free of charge.

The full programme, including all screening times, will be available on the DOK Leipzig website from 8 October. Ticket sales will open online on the same day.

“Good Evening, Beautiful” opens in German cinemas on 19 November.

The first films in the section at a glance: Film Lists 2026 

Press images available to download: Film stills and portraits