Welcome to DOK.fest München 2021 @home!

Greeting of the festival directors

Divine Comedy?

Not long ago, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called climate change a stress test for our global community. Now, somewhat unexpectedly, the COVID 19 pandemic has taken the world stage and mercilessly shown us our vulnerability. Even with Corona, the many facets of our coexistence remain with us. At the same time, we have been observing for some time how different parts of society are drifting further and further apart. In many countries, we are witnessing a softening of basic democratic values, values that we have long taken for granted and considered immovable. The overall tone is becoming harsher, many issues that could bear shades of grey are polarising and populism is taking hold. Our answer for a common future: encounter and dialogue – in film and in exchange with the filmmakers.

Diversity at it's best.

Four major competitions present the highlights of international filmmaking. The guest country series DOK.guest Canada shows Canadian society away from the political headlines. In the retrospective we discover five decades of DEFA documentary film and with the homage to Helena Třeštíková we present the work of a renowned Czech director. We offer a stage for music films, touching love stories and accompany empowerment movements. The 131 films from 43 countries that we present during the festival are dedicated to all these aspects.

Film festival @home

Our vision for the 36th DOK.fest München was a dual festival edition that would bring our programme to the big screen and to the "digital screen" at your home. But in view of the further uncertain development of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to change our plans: DOK.fest München 2021 will once again celebrate documentary film culture @home.

Encounter and exchange online.

The home office and meetings with friends and extended family are increasingly taking place online. We have learnt this over the last year and have also discovered some added value. We would like to use the social energy between makers, audience and festival in any form and offer you the opportunity to enter into direct exchange. Be curious and drop by our digital festival centre and Meet&Greeet in "Wonder" on the homepage. And, our numerous conversations with the international makers are highly emission-reduced.

And the cinemas?

This year, our preamble to the first online edition 2020 also applies: High-quality international film culture also has its price on the digital screen and all rights holders generate corresponding revenues. To set an example for cinema culture, we are involving cinemas again this year: As a spectator, you can donate one euro to the cinemas with your Soli ticket. Also, 5 euros from every festival pass sold will go to our three partner cinemas.

My life as a human being.

The human being is the focus of our interest, our own life and the life of others – I SEE YOU. How do we go on, can we rethink our future and dare to do so? – EYES WIDE OPEN. Is this a beginning? Is there even a magic in it? Let's start with ourselves! – WHO AM I.

Listen to your mind, follow your heart, trust your eyes and face a world in motion.

Daniel Sponsel & Adele Kohout