This competitive section brings together films from all over the world 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, the audience themselves will also award the prize – via online voting after the films.
16-year-old Krzysztof was last seen on a bridge over Poland’s Vistula River in 2023. The CCTV camera briefly turned away, and by the time it returned, he had vanished. Following his disappearance, his father Daniel launches a relentless search in Poland’s largest river. As time piles up, the searches persist. Any tech that proves useful gets pulled into it, from drones to metal detectors, trackers, and even loaves of bread, sent floating down the current in the hope of locating the body. The camera matches these rhythms, dredging the river’s depths and combing its banks. The searches, showing the father’s restless energy and the sheer labour of this endeavour, mix with vérité scenes with his family, as well as news snippets about Krzysztof’s alleged sightings. Social media streams are scoured too, providing unsettling insights into the boy’s inner states. Director Michał Marczak – and by extension his camera – accompany Daniel, taking the audience along in a boat and into the heart of a family’s unresolved grief. As closure remains out of reach, Daniel starts assisting other searches, and sombre discoveries are made of other lives lost in the waters.
Sevara Pan
Contains mentions of violence against animals, mental health conditions, suicide
Contains depictions of death, mental health conditions, violence against animals
Photosensitivity warning: Contains flashes of light that may trigger seizures for people with visual sensitivities.
Free entry
Free entry
