A program celebrating 25 years of the International Visegrad Fund
Over the past quarter-century, the Visegrad region has become one of the most dynamic spaces for documentary cinema in Europe. Its filmmakers have continually redefined how we understand reality on screen, blending formal innovation with political urgency, intimate observation with sweeping historical reflection.
For 25 years, the International Visegrad Fund has backed a wide range of events that have played a crucial role in developing documentary filmmaking in the region, contributing to its current international standing. On the occasion of the Fund's anniversary, DAFilms and Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival join forces to present a curated journey through 25 years of Visegrad filmmaking: one film for every year of the Fund’s existence.
This selection traces the evolving concerns, aesthetics, and identities of Central Europe from 2000 to 2024. It begins with Karel Vachek’s grand, genre-defying fresco, moves through formally bold experiments from Hungary and Slovakia, and includes landmark portraits of personal and political transformation from Poland and the Czech Republic. Along the way, the program highlights recurring themes that have shaped the region: the struggle for democratic values, the resilience of communities in transition, the presence of borders both visible and invisible, and the intimate dramas unfolding within everyday life.
Many of these films have become canon within European documentary cinema: from the social satire of Czech Dream to the exquisite observational works of Helena Třeštíková and Paweł Łoziński, from the human rights testimonies of A Woman Captured to the radical cinematic language of FREM. Others are rediscoveries: restless, daring, and deeply reflective works that deserve renewed attention.
Twenty-five years, twenty-five films — a cinematic portrait of a region continually reinventing itself.
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