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.

In an animated film, we meet The Girl with Brass Rings from the Kayan tribe, who inhabit the eastern part of Myanmar. Due to vast cultural differences, she finds herself struggling to fit in at school. Meanwhile, in distant Pakistan, where Girl with Goals is set, another girl is faced with challenges, this time due to her own personal failures in football. Her biggest competitor is in fact her sister. The theme of siblinghood is also addressed in the film My Brother Is Deaf. Through the narration of a five-year-old boy, we learn what it's like to live in a family with a hearing-impaired member.

In Girl Away from Home, we follow the promising thirteen-year-old gymnast Nastya from Kyiv, who was forced to leave her home and family due to the war. This “One World for Families” block ends on a positive note with the film Skate the City, where a group of friends, despite bans, refuse to give up what they love most.

A notable new feature in this category is a screening designed to introduce young audiences to problems of the modern world. Two such short films will provide an insight into Afghanistan, where the Taliban's harsh rule includes the suppression of women’s and girls’ rights among other issues.

These films are part of the morning screenings intended for schools. However, you can also catch them at the Family Screenings from 23 to 25 March. Throughout the festival weekend, attendees can also enjoy a guided tour of the projection room and participate in art workshops arranged in partnership with FreeCinema.

Films for younger viewers are dubbed into Czech without subtitles, while the block for older viewers has Czech subtitles. Additionally, the moderation between films and the subsequent workshop is also exclusively in Czech.

Films in category Docs For Families

Young female dancer in studio with others practicing in background.

Short documentary

Girl Away from Home

Nastya is 13 and loves gymnastics above all else. She works hard, training as much as 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. But everything changes in an instant.

Boy on skateboard performing a trick near steps on a city street.

Short documentary

Skate the City

Pippa is 15, lives in Antwerp and loves skateboarding. As she and her friends go to their favourite places in the city, they increasingly find new signs saying “NO SKATEBOARDING”.

A grayscale illustration of a girl with a hat, layered yellow necklaces, surrounded by shadowy figures.

Short documentary

The Girl with Brass Rings

The women and girls of the Kayan tribe living along the Myanmar-Thai border are known for their extremely long necks. The brass rings adorning them are part of their cultural identity, but outside their village often lead to bullying.

Other Thematic Categories

Competitive Film Category

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.

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.

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.