The UK’s Sheffield DocFest is creating a special programme of talks and screenings called ‘Days Of Reflection’ focused on themes of co-resistance, freedom of the press, ancestral lands and archiving the present for its 31st edition (June 12-17).
It will form a central focus for this year’s overall festival theme of Reflections On Realities.
“This year, recognising the interconnected challenges of rising polarisation, freedom of the press, attacks on independent journalism and the many violent conflicts around the world, we have thought deeply about our position and responsibility as a charity committed to advancing the art of documentary,” said festival managing director Annabel Grundy and creative director Raul Niño Zambrano.
“We are proud of our history as a platform where diverse perspectives can flourish,” they continued. ”Therefore, in alignment with our values of empathy, creativity, freedom, and inclusivity, we will centre this year’s festival on a deep reflection of the realities depicted in our film selection. Films will serve as the heart of our conversations, and we will hold space following the screenings, for meaningful discussions to unfold.”
The ‘Days Of Reflection’ programme will include a daily reflection screening and moderated conversation, bringing together filmmakers across the programme.
Themed films
No Other Land, about an alliance between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist, will screen as part of the conversation around co-resistance. The film was made by a collective including Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra and Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham whose acceptance speech at Berlinale for best documentary sparked controversy. The film was awarded in Berlinale Panorama where it also received the audience award followed by further audience prizes at CPH:DOX and Visions du Reel.
Santiago Maza’s State Of Silence about a group of journalists across Mexico facing threats for their frontline reporting will screen ahead of a conversation on freedom of the press. The film first premiered at Tribeca.
Canadian feature Yintah will be showcased and followed by a discussion on ancestral lands. The film follows the Wet’suwet’en people and their fight for land and territory in the face of the government’s plans to expand the fossil fuel pipeline. Directed by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell and Michael Toledano, it premiered at the True/False Film Fest in the US.
Making its international premiere at Sheffield DocFest, after it debuts at Docudays, is Ukrainian film Witnesses. Captivity That Kills which screens as part of the conversation on archiving the present. Created by the team behind the Ukraine War Archive project, the film is a collection of testimonies surrounding the Russian war.
The organisers of the festival also said: “As an organisation, we denounce all forms of violence and discrimination worldwide. In light of the attacks in Israel on October 7th and the war in Palestine, and the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, we support the call for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
“We condemn this war and all the wars affecting millions worldwide, and thank the courageous filmmakers from the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan who bring their stories to us this year,” said Grundy and Zambrano. ”We mourn the loss of all lives in these and all conflicts, and the unacceptable erasure of journalists, visual artists, and film workers. As an anti-racist organisation we stand firmly against the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and all forms of racism and hate speech.”
The full programme will be announced on May 8.
As previously announced, Sheffield DocFest is opening with Kevin Macdonald’s Klitschko: More Than A Fight and will welcome US filmmaker Roger Ross Williams as its guest of honour.
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