We are very happy to announce that this year Millennium Docs Against Gravity will once again maintain gender parity - the films presented in the programme were directed by exactly 90 female and 90 male directors. The Main Competition features a majority of female filmmakers - the best documentaries were created by 8 women and 6 men. There are 12 women and 9 men on the jury of 21 members. The need for equality and diversity is also addressed by a number of films which will be presented to the Polish audience from the start of the cinema part of the festival on May 13 until the end of the online part on June 5.
AKS Zły: a story of a unique phenomenon in Polish sport
Today, the trailer of the film Beasts was released on the festival's YouTube channel. Tomasz Knittel looks into the phenomenon of AKS Zły, a fully democratic Warsaw football club which brings together representatives of different cultures and world views. Over time, AKS Zły has become a true phenomenon in Polish sport, proving despite internal frictions that solidarity is the best way to fight for equal opportunities for all. The director and producer Maciej Ostatek (Skandal. Ewenement Molesty) talked about the film to Newonce.net.
You can watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/rzYNi-IhmRo
We are all equal!
During the festival, we will also present several foreign films that talk about the need for equality and the fight for it. Jason by Masja Ooms in a tender and sensitive way tells the story of a young transgender boy who campaigns for a system change in the Netherlands. He himself, on the verge of suicide at the age of 16, ended up in a state-run permanent residence, where he only suffered further traumas. He recovered from these through intensive daily therapy. The director shows Jason not only as a victim of violence but also as an activist who wants to save others from suffering. The sense of mission gives him the strength to fight for improvements and allows him to reveal the most intimate wounds to his psyche, no matter how difficult the experience may be. A relentless campaign for equality is also being run by activists in the Czech Republic, the protagonists of the film The Law of Love, directed by Barbora Chalupová. On the surface, it looks like the Czech society is open-minded and LGBT+ friendly. But when it comes to the question of legalizing same-sex marriage, hidden ignorance and hatred suddenly appear. Czeslaw, and his companions run a campaign to show politicians and common society that the fight for LGBT+ rights in Europe is far from over. The idea of equality is addressed in a slightly different, although by no means less important context in the film Rebellion, directed by Maia Kenworthy, Elena Sánchez Bellot. It tells the compelling story of Extinction Rebellion – an international grassroots socio-political movement protesting against politicians' inaction on climate change and species extinction. We follow the ups and downs of XR, the internal problems and clashes among its members. It is a film about passion, frustration and ambition, showing the enormous impact that peaceful civil disobedience can have, as well as the challenges that such a group faces.
Millennium Docs Against Gravity will take place on May 13-22 in eight cities: Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdynia, Poznań, Katowice, Lublin, Bydgoszcz and for the first time in Łódź! The online part at mdag.pl will last from May 24 to June 5. The titular sponsor of the festival is Bank Millennium (www.bankmillennium.pl).
