DOK Leipzig film festival opens with new focus on Eastern Europe

The 69th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig) begins its run this Monday. The festival opens with the world premiere of “Guten Abend, Du Schöne,” a film that provides faces and life stories to the protagonists of Maxie Wanders’ 1977 book. The film serves as a successor to the seminal work that documented the individual experiences and desires of women living in the GDR.

Under the leadership of new director Ola Staszel, the festival is introducing a new program series titled “Fokus Ost” (Focus East) and a section called “Positions,” both designed to stimulate discussion regarding complex contemporary issues and identity. Additionally, the festival includes a tribute to Czech filmmaker Helena Třeštíková, recognized for her mastery of long-term biographical observation.