As diverse as the circumstances in which people live, as different as their perspectives, are the various cinematic tools filmmakers use to examine and pass them on. DOK Leipzig’s international competitions generate productive encounters: between a young generation eager to experiment and those who remain true to the curiosity and creativity of their beginnings.

As diverse as the circumstances in which people live, as different as their perspectives, are the various cinematic tools filmmakers use to examine and pass them on. DOK Leipzig’s international competitions generate productive encounters: between a young generation eager to experiment and those who remain true to the curiosity and creativity of their beginnings.

Our new section in this year.
The ”camera lucida” revolutionised painting by means of optics. It anticipated the realism of photography and ultimately of cinema and inspired Roland Barthes to an essay dedicated to the intangible and therefore all the more captivating effect of a photographic image. It also provided the title for a selection of captivating documentaries that challenge cinematic conventions and reality in a particularly lucid way.

Perspectives intersect in the German competitions of DOK Leipzig: Those of an emerging generation looking for its own forms of expression and those of established filmmakers who have retained their spirit of departure and contradiction. Their films illuminate familiar regions or cross borders to demonstrate a wide range of forms and themes, of close-ups and distant views.

Perspectives intersect in the German competitions of DOK Leipzig: Those of an emerging generation looking for its own forms of expression and those of established filmmakers who have retained their spirit of departure and contradiction. Their films illuminate familiar regions or cross borders to demonstrate a wide range of forms and themes, of close-ups and distant views.

Our newly introduced competition: In geometry the Golden Section represents harmonic proportions. This section brings together films that arouse emotions, that take the subjective point of view, that can be humorous, surprising and warm-hearted. Like the whole DOK Leipzig line-up, they compete for the audience’s favour. Here, however, an audience jury will also award the prizes.

Our newly introduced competition: In geometry the Golden Section represents harmonic proportions. This section brings together films that arouse emotions, that take the subjective point of view, that can be humorous, surprising and warm-hearted. Like the whole DOK Leipzig line-up, they compete for the audience’s favour. Here, however, an audience jury will also award the prizes.

This year’s Homage is dedicated to director, photographer and cinematographer Annik Leroy. Her meditative works situated between film, video art and installation invite the audience to reflect on European history and the human condition. During the week of the festival, there will also be a master class held online in which Leroy will share her personal view of her work with the audience.

In “Animation Perspectives”, media artists Patrick Buhr and Aaron Jablonski exchange ideas about their animated miniatures in a virtual setting. The two artists share a fascination with artificial identities as an extension of reality, such as through 3-D animations or Instagram face filters.

The “Re-Visions” programme celebrates the 25th anniversary of our animated film competition with 25 films made using the most diverse animation techniques and narrative styles in the festival years since 1995.

In the “Kids DOK” programmes, the festival presents documentary and animated films for audiences as young as age 5, 8, 10 and 14 — in cinemas as well as online. The protagonists of the documentary films are all children and adolescents who invite the audience to enter their worlds.

In the East Wing (Osthalle) of Leipzig’s main railway station, and in collaboration with the Saxon State Archive, we present films from the 1960s to the 1980s that revolve around railway stations and railways — including amateur films, musicals and promotional films.

The Leipzig region is also topic of another Special Programme. Together with the DEFA Foundation, the festival is screening Kurt Tetzlaff’s documentary film Memories of a Landscape — to Manuela, which was restored in 2018. In this 1983 film, the director followed the lives of a number of people south of Leipzig for several years, whose villages had to make way for lignite mining.

Cinema for all! Together with the PROMENADEN shopping centre at Leipzig’s main station, every evening during the festival we show selected films from the programme free of charge. Our tip: Snuggling up under blanket with a thermos is rather cozy here, even without the classic movie seat.

Please note that special pandemic protection measures apply at our main station cinema. Read our FAQ.

Perhaps a film hasn’t left your mind since the screening, or the discussion afterwards only piqued your curiosity further? Our curated dialogue series invite for moderated round table discussions with filmmakers that address these dominant subjects in the competitions of the current festival edition - online and for everyone!
 

Bringing lessons out of the classroom and into the cinema, our school screenings use selected documentaries and animated films to complement and illustrate topics that students are learning about. Each screening is followed by an in-depth discussion with the filmmakers. This year, the school screenings take place in the schools. 

The five-member international jury for this competition awards a Golden Dove for a long documentary or animated film as well as a Silver Dove for the best long documentary or animated film by an up-and-coming director (with up to three directorial works after completing their education).

The three-member international jury for this competition awards one Golden Dove each for a short documentary and a short animated film.

The three-member jury of the two German competitions awards a Golden Dove for a German long documentary or animated film.

The three-member jury of the two German competitions awards a Silver Dove for a German short documentary or animated film.

The Golden Dove in this newly introduced competition for long documentary and animated films will be awarded by a jury comprised of audience members.

The Silver Dove in this newly introduced competition for short documentary and animated films will be awarded by a jury comprised of audience members.