We are happy to announce the official selection of this year’s Ex Oriente Film Documentary Laboratory participating projects. We’ve chosen 12 feature-length projects and 5 docuseries projects in the development and early production stage that challenge genres, formats, and media boundaries.
This year’s Ex Oriente Film Documentary Laboratory sessions will take place in June in Varna and at the Suny Side of the Doc Festival in La Rochelle, in October at DOK Leipzig and in March 2025 at the East Doc Platform in Prague. Program has been supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, and Czech Film Fund.
Ex Oriente Features 2024:
Be Realistic, Demand the Impossible (dir. Vanja Juranic, prod. Vanja Jambrovic, Tibor Keser - Restart, HR)
The film explores themes of belonging, identity, integration, discrimination and immigration through the lives of a courageous and self-ironic couple in their mid-50s. Frustrated by the socio-political situation in Croatia and wanting to achieve a better life, they embark on a journey from Croatia to Germany, with only one plan never return to Croatia.
Blue Sweater with a Yellow Hole (dir. Tetiana Khodakivska, prod. Elena Saulich - Pronto Film, UA)
Questioning propaganda in the modern world, the documentary follows Ukrainian children Kira, Taisa, and Artem as they paint their memories of their time in Russian 're-education' camps.
Cooperative (dir. Mikhail Volkov, prod. Roman Blazhan - Minimal Movie, UA)
Set in the heart of Kyiv, amidst the imposing backdrop of towering apartment blocks, it unveils the enchanting world of a distinctive car garage cooperative, a living testament to Soviet heritage. Every garage is a unique mini-universe, mirroring the vibrant personalities of its owners.
Gone Guy (dir. Andrei Dascalescu, prod. Ligia Ciornei - Filmlab, RO)
A cinematic journey through a tapestry of landscapes, challenges, adventures and encounters. It’s an adrenaline-filled, inspirational and uplifting documentary, but it also delves into themes of solitude, overcoming traumas, and the discovery and understanding of one’s true self and that of the complex world we all live in.
The Island of Freedom (dir. Haruna Honcoop, prod. Haruna Honcoop - Be Water My Friend, CZ)
The film documents stories of Taiwanese, Hong Konger and Eastern European characters, taking place against the backdrop of recent political exchanges between Taiwan, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. And portrays their actions and bravery against global powers – Russia and China.
My Father, the Iceman (dir. Łukasz Kowalski, prod. Anna Mazerant - 4.30 Studio, PL)
Young lawyer Ewa fights for the release of her father, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of the leader of the South African communist party. To do this, Eve must embark on a journey full of danger.
Once We Were Heroes (dir. Oliwia Tonteri, prod. Aino Halonen - Kompot, FI, PL)
Szczepan is a skilled miner, just like his father and grandfather were, who lives in a small Polish town built entirely on and around the mining industry. Now Europe is closing its coal mines, and Szczepan is retiring at the age of 45. He takes part in a state transition programme to solve the problems caused by closed mines. Meanwhile, his only child, Dorota, is off to university in a big city to study journalism. Her confrontation with modern Europe shakes up her identity as the child of a mining family and an advocate for her community. Both father and daughter are searching for their place in a changing world.
Operation Champion (dir. Mariam Nikolaishvili, prod. Irina Gelashvili - Radium Films, GE)
At 25, Gvantsa's life takes a dark turn after a car accident, one of her feet became 4 cm shorter. Discovering wheelchair fencing, she gained strength, becoming the world’s wheelchair fencing champion. Her dream is the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Despite personal challenges and loneliness, fencing has brought success and financial independence, along with a newfound sports family and a reason to live. But she faces a tough decision: surgery could heal her painful foot injury, but it would cost her disabled status and her fencing career.
Paralel Polis 2.0 (dir. Martin Piga, prod. Tereza Tokarova - CinePunkt, SK)
What is it like to be completely independent? Is it even possible nowadays? Pavol, a 40-year-old Slovak, lives a unique life. He doesn't belong anywhere, but he is everywhere. In the documentary Parallel Polis 2.0 we follow him in his ordinary life. “Ordinary” which is not ordinary at all.
Retrospective (dir. Gabrielė Urbonaitė, prod. Uljana Kim, Migla Butkute - Studio Uljama Kim, LT)
As interdisciplinary artists Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas prepare for their career retrospective, their filmmaker daughter reflects on what it means to grow up in a family of artists.
Slava (dir. Soňa G. Lutherová, prod. Maroš Hečko, Peter Veverka - Azyl, SK)
Through revealing interviews, observation, and captivating archival footage, this film tells the story of a female opera director Sláva and her journey as an artist while capturing an intimate portrait of her as a person. It provides a rare glimpse into the inner world of artistic genius and uncovers the cost of professional success for women.
Virtual Girlfriends (dir. Barbora Chalupová, prod. Pavla Klimešová - Helium Film, CZ)
Doc Virtual Girlfriends reveals the world of "creators" and "fans" on OnlyFans, an online platform with subscription content for adults. In four story lines, it shows their motivations, and the transformation of their perception of intimacy and also reflects the impact of this new social network on their lives.
Ex Oriente Series 2024:
Cradle To Grave (dir. Stanislav Donchev, prod. Teodora Doncheva, BG)
A documentary series about the lives of those generations from whom the totalitarian system in Eastern Europe, took away property, the connection with the land, the connection with God, the right to choose and freedom. The lives of these generations were unified by the communist ideology based on Marxist-Leninist postulates. One is urged everywhere to work, in the name and for the benefit of the USSR. Simultaneously funny and sad, we also discover the "spells" of socialist rituals
Forever Young (dir. Đuro Gavran, prod. Miljenka Čogelja - Pipser, HR)
Documentary series about once famous Yugoslav athletes, today in their golden years. Over several decades in the former state, we eagerly followed different athletes before our TV screens, cheered for them, and in a way lived with them. Where are they today, how do they live, what do they do and, most importantly, what sport do they do now?
Frozen Ocean (dir. Viktória Dénes, prod. Julianna Ugrin - Éclipse Film, HU)
A team of young filmmakers, sailors and a researcher embark on an expedition to the Arctic to gather the knowledge that might help them to deal with the coming consequences of climate change. Following the traces of the historic expedition sail from Bremerhaven to Franz Josef Land, stopping all along the coasts of Norway and Novaya Zemlya, talking to native and local people of small communities.
Near Light (dir. Niccolò Salvato, prod. Mara Cracaleanu - Melancholia Pictures, RO)
A display of the disregarded reality of detainees from different European prisons. The characters portrayed are granted a special treatment plan, allowing them to work or study outside of prison at a specific time of the day. The reconnection with society brings out the ghosts of their past and fear of an uncertain future that they can now shape for the better.
One Inch Eastward (dir. Irina Maldea, prod. Brendan Culleton - Akajava Films, IE)
The peaceful ending of the Cold War was a huge achievement, entrancing the whole world and making Mikhail Gorbachev one of the most famous people ever. But his grand project for the demilitarisation of international relations was never realised. The series composed entirely of archives, brings us on an immersive journey back in time to the 1990s; we watch as the fate of humanity is yet again decided by a small group of politicians.
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