The full program for Sofia DocuMental 2024 is announced, ticket sales are live
Sofia DocuMental, the only documentary film festival with a focus on human rights in Bulgaria, proudly announces the complete program for its fifth edition. Ticket sales are available for 30 Bulgarian premieres, to be screened at nine key locations across the capital.
With the call to action "Step out of the bubble," Sofia DocuMental 2024 presents 30 carefully curated documentaries from around the world, to be shown in Bulgaria for the first time. To help audiences navigate the packed nine-day schedule, the festival has grouped the films into several categories.
Metamorphosis focuses on deeply personal stories of transformation. From the opening film, Stray Bodies by Elina Psikou, which tackles questions of bodily autonomy, to the tales of Johatsu - Into Thin Air, where individuals have chosen to disappear and start anew, or the journey of a Croatian-Roma couple challenging traditions and stereotypes. There’s also a look into the life of an Agent of Happiness in Bhutan. These films offer a window into profound personal change and self-discovery.
The Sphere of Influence and Democracy Under Fire categories explore pressing global issues and figures dominating today’s headlines, but with a deeper focus on the roots and consequences of these events. Films like Putin’s Playground and Democracy Noir—a documentary on Orban’s Hungary—extend beyond short-lived media sensations, asking where events truly begin and end, and where the truth can be found.
In Archival Heritage, the past is revisited through the lens of personal and family archives, revealing the deep connections between historical events and individual lives. These films range from stories of domestic violence in seemingly perfect homes, to the family albums of Nobel laureates, and collective experiences of major historical upheavals, such as the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Bosnian War, the displacement of Palestinian families, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. They showcase how history shapes and invades private lives.
Art of Resistance showcases three films focusing on artists and their defiant, radical acts of expression. These stories portray art as a much needed place of refuge, using bold language that emphasises challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of freedom.
The categories Human/Nature and The Future Is Now highlight the complex world we are shaping—both physically and virtually. From traditional ecological stories about our relationship with nature to the virtual ecosystems we create and inhabit, these films explore themes like Bulgaria’s involvement in cryptocurrencies and the emergence of artificial intelligence outliving its creators.
"Documentary film has a powerful ability to challenge perceptions and transform minds through bold and compelling visuals. This year’s selection is a call to step out of the bubble and confront the world as it is. With 30 daring premieres, Sofia DocuMental 2024 invites audiences to rethink the narratives we live by and engage with the realities that define our times," shares festival director Martichka Bozhilova.
The 2024 selection of Sofia DocuMental: