International Competition

The international competition features eleven titles, which includes premieres and acclaimed or award-winning films from other world festivals. These films, both in content and form, offer remarkable insights from both highly visible regions and countries that are often overlooked.

Among them is Bhutan, where the government dispatches an Agent of Happiness to gauge the population’s levels of well-being. The film, which offers a picturesque portrayal of the mountainous nation, its cultural traditions and social challenges, competed for the jury prize at Sundance. Ultimately, the prize went to an impressive Norwegian narrative depicting a family's journey through A New Kind of Wilderness, in which they’re forced to leave behind everything they've ever known.

The future of the younger generation is also addressed in Venezuela: Country of Lost Children, which highlights the challenges of just surviving until adulthood in this country, let alone of attaining a fulfilling, dignified life. The raw and stylish KIX explores the cloudy prospects of adolescents in a socially deprived environment, this time within sight of our own borders.

Hollywoodgate brings an explosive blend of information and emotion to the competition. In a film where every scene could mean the death sentence for the filmmaker, we gain a rare glimpse into the heart of the Taliban as they seize a hastily abandoned American military base and its assets worth billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, Shaman's Tale introduces a Quixotic motif of resistance against Putin, whilst the Russo-Ukrainian conflict is also addressed in an intimate portrait of three generations of women entitled A Bit of a Stranger, which premiered at this year's Berlinale.

Awarded for Best Director at the IDFA festival, one film recounts the story of a young filmmaker whose month-long internship in Norway was extended to seven years due to border closures in his native Gaza. Despite the constant threat of deportation, the author's exceptionally positive message reminds us that Life Is Beautiful.

Films in category International Competition

Young child in a pink jacket in car turning from window at camera.

Full-length documentary

A Bit of a Stranger

Much changed after Russia invaded Ukraine. The events force four generations of Ukrainian women to reassess not only their relationship to their native land but mainly towards each other.

Child with arms raised sitting atop a wooden structure in the forest.

Full-length documentary

A New Kind of Wilderness

A Norwegian-British family decides to leave the hustle and bustle of the city. But along with independence, their chosen lifestyle brings challenges. After a tragic loss, these will be even more difficult to deal with.

Man with long hair squinting, night setting with blue lighting, flame light against face.

Full-length documentary

A Shaman's Tale

A modern-day shaman sets out across Siberia to Moscow on a protest march and is gradually joined by others. How will the Russian authorities react?

Two men and one boy in traditional robes sitting and talking by a building.

Full-length documentary

Agent of Happiness

Bhutan has long boasted a high Gross National Happiness index. The film follows two government workers who travel through the glorious Himalayan landscape and find that GNH is not only a number, but also a mixture of many sad and happy stories.

Elderly person holding a radio, seated inside a dim wooden cabin.

Full-length documentary

Flickering Lights

The rhythm of life in Tora is dictated by the alternating hours of daylight and darkness. The film tracks the slow process of electrification and what happens when things once shrouded in darkness are illuminated by fluorescent light.

A crowd of people with a mix of civilians and military personnel under white flags.

Full-length documentary

Hollywoodgate

The camera tracks two Taliban members for a year after the group’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan. To establish a military government, they enlist the help of abandoned US military technology.

Person swimming in river with a bridge and cityscape in the background.

Full-length documentary

KIX

Over the 10 years of filming, Sanyi changes from a curious street kid to a troubled teenager. The film captures his attempts to avoid the fate of a child from a poor family in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary.

A diverse group of people taking a selfie, smiling with various international flags.

Full-length documentary

Life Is Beautiful

When young Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed leaves for his first trip to Europe, he has no idea that his 1-month stay in Tromsø, Norway, will turn into forced exile with no end in sight. It’s 2014. The only access route to his native Gaza is closed indefinitely.

A white, uniquely-shaped building with a tall chimney against a blue background.

Full-length documentary

Silence of Reason

Using archival material from the Hague Tribunal, the film gives voice to women who faced brutal sexual violence and torture during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Man holding a skull in a forest; camera in foreground capturing him in a robe garb.

Full-length documentary

The Monk

A prominent Danish scientist abandons his career and family to spend the rest of his life in Buddhist meditation on a Sri Lankan mountaintop. But rifts gradually emerge in this seemingly idyllic tale of rejection of Western society.

Girl leaning on bench, smiling slightly, under tree shade.

Full-length documentary

Venezuela: Country of Lost Children

Venezuela is plagued by poverty, hunger and violence. This observational documentary shot in local slums shows how long-term neglect of infrastructure affects women and children.

Other Thematic Categories

Competitive Film Category

International Competition

Competitive Film Category

Right To Know

The title of this competitive section speaks volumes about its thematic focus, centring on a dozen documentaries that address topical issues demanding a mass audience.

Competitive Film Category

Czech Competition

Every year, One World's national competition presents a rich array of documentaries on human rights issues. This year's lineup comprises nine films, each offering a unique perspective. Some investigate national icons, others tackle contemporary social challenges, whilst some cast their gaze towards the future.

Competitive Film Category

Immersive Films Competition

The Competition of Immersive Films showcases a curated selection of interactive virtual reality projects and 360° films that explore human rights themes in the broadest sense of the word.

Thematic Film Category

Middle East

The Middle East and North Africa, often abbreviated as MENA, have always been areas of focus for One World. In these regions, there are always numerous pressing issues that compel filmmakers to capture them on camera, whether it's the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the status of women in Iran and Syria, or the situation in Yemen or Lebanon.

Thematic Film Category

Ecosystems

In recent years, One World has dedicated a separate category to ecological issues. Whilst films addressing this topic continue to feature this year, we now approach the topic from a fresh perspective. How do nature, humans, and other entities coexist to form complex ecosystems?

Thematic Film Category

Searching For Freedom

The category Searching for Freedom has long been a cornerstone of One World. This year, we decided to reintroduce it into the program, but with a twist: our understanding of freedom has now been expanded to encompass a broader spectrum.

Thematic Film Category

On the Edge of Maturity

The delicate and pivotal phase between childhood and adulthood is marked by a period of self-awareness, acceptance of bodily changes, independence from one’s family, and the development of one's moral compass. It represents a profound personal metamorphosis, during which one attempts to navigate the boundaries of social norms, political liberties, and family acceptance.

Thematic Film Category

Identities

Films in this category address the process of searching for and defining one's own identity in various ways. They emphasise that identity is not bound by set limits or predefined boxes.

Thematic Film Category

Communities

Films in this category explore the diverse community experiences of contemporary society. It’s precisely communities – groups interlinked by various shared circumstances and bonds – that play a significant role in shaping society, perhaps even evolving into a new form of family — or perhaps acting as a “second family” has always been among the functions of any community?

Thematic Film Category

Structures of Power

The entrenched hierarchy of social status, in which the rich and powerful rule from the upper echelons whilst the marginalised and disenfranchised are stuck at the bottom of the barrel, remains a sad constant of our society. In this year's selection of top ten films exploring the rule of law and its exploitation, we witness the courageous endeavours of individuals and collectives striving to break through the usurping structures of power.

Thematic Film Category

Docs For Families

One World also caters to its younger audience. Films shown within this category enable children to learn more about the lives of others their own age from different parts of the world.