Docu Talents from the East @Sarajevo Film Festival

After the Storm
(Po Audros)

Amoosed
(Amoosed)

Baltic UXO
(Baltic UXO)

Give Love Create
(Az Új Tudás)

Still Nia
(Still Nia)

The Big Chief
(Wielki Szef)

The Running Land
(Земля, що біжить)

Tskaltubo
(Tskaltubo)

After the Storm (Po Audros)

Country: Lithuania
Film length: 60-70 mi
Director: Francesco Rufini
Producers: Valdemar Albert Lovcik, Teresa Rožanovska
DoP: Francesco Rufini
Estimated date of premiere: Spring 2025

Synopsis: The film delves into the intertwined lives, dreams, and memories of two fishermen and amber searchers, Arūnas and Paulius – the old and new generation of Lithuania, united by the call of the sea. Night and day, they search for the precious resin amidst the cold Baltic waters. Discovering amber is like holding 60 million years in the palm of your hand, a magical and magnetic experience, as if gazing through a window to a lost world. Both amber and the film become fragments of time, linking the past and present of the characters with the history of the region and its people.

Director's biography: Francesco Rufini is an Italian-born documentary filmmaker based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He began to practice filmmaking while studying BA in Anthropology at the University of Bologna and continued with an MFA in Film Directing at the Edinburgh College of Art. His debut short documentary Dogma (2018) premiered at the 72nd Edinburgh IFF. After the Storm which has been selected for development by Dox In Vitro 2023, Nida Art Colony and is funded by the Lithuanian Film Centre will be his first feature-film.

Production company: Ketvirta Versija
Domeikos str. 40, 10258 Vilnius, Lithuania
www.ketvirtaversija.lt
waldemar.lowczyk@gmail.com

Film and TV production company Ketvirta Versija was founded in 2003. To this day, it has produced 21 documentaries, 2 feature films, 5 TV series and over 20 different audiovisual productions for the internet. Company films were screened at international film festivals around the world. The company’s goal is to produce strong, impactful and relevant documentaries.

Amoosed (Amoosed)

Country: Czech Republic
Film length: 92 min
Director: Hana Nováková
Producer: Kateřina Traburová
Co-producers: Peter Kerekes Ltd., GURU FILM
DoPs: Františka Chlumská, Marek Brožek, Petr Salaba, Sergej Borsuk
Estimated date of premiere: March/April 2025

Synopsis: The director of the movie gets possessed by Moose, the ancient animal totem. She sets out on a journey searching for an answer to why it happened. She follows similarly moose-possessed (“amoosed”) people around the world. Her odyssey lasts for 7 years and takes her from rare Czech moose to Russian moose domestication attempts through Swedish moose living in people’s households to remote indigenous Canada. It turns out that it was Hana’s ancestors who led her to meet the Mikmaq first nation, who see the moose as their sacred spirit animal and who have an important message for Hana as well.

Director's biography: Mgr. HANA NOVÁKOVÁ, Ph.D. (*1978) studied Indian languages at Faculty of Arts (Charles University) and Documentary at FAMU. She obtained her PhD. in Ethnozoology. She worked as a director of ecological broadcasting Nedej se (Hold Your Own!) for the Czech TV and has directed science-pop spots for the Czech Academy of Science. In both her research and films, she mainly deals with topics of estrangement from the environment, wildlife protection, neo-colonialism. She lived and studied abroad (Paris, Calcutta, Leiden) and did her research of the tribes and rhinos in Indian state Asam.

Production company: LaDamplinque s.r.o.
K Žižkovu 640/9, 190 00 Prague, Czech Republic
www.facebook.com/ladamplinque/
ktraburova@gmail.com

LaDamplinque is a young independent creative company founded in 2020 and run by film producer and filmmaker Kateřina Traburová. It does not distinguish between documentaries and feature films, but understands film as such as a piece of art that can take an infinite number of forms. As a company with a single partner, it reserves the right to develop and select projects according to subjective taste, interest and belief in their importance for society.

Baltic UXO (Baltic UXO)

Countries: Lithuania, Germany, Latvia
Film length: 80 min
Directors: Agne Dovydaityte, Alexander Belinski
Producer: Dagne Vildziunaite
Co-producers: Karsten Krause, Antra Gaile
DoP: Alexander Belinski
Estimated date of premiere: February 2025

Synopsis: 1.6 million tons of munitions, including chemical weapons, were dumped into the Baltic and North Seas after WWII. The film takes the audience on a visual journey and exposes them to the dangerous secrets of the Baltic.

It dives into the life of microorganisms, fish, scientists, and wanders around the coastal landscapes affected by the munitions, unveiling the scale of this ecological, political, and economic problem.

Everything, all the way up to giant marine construction projects and militaries, is now dealing with the consequences of the decisions made in the past.

Director's biography: Alexander Belinski and Agne Dovydaityte are both BA Journalism graduates from City, University of London. They moved to Lithuania in 2018 to create their debut documentary The Sun Sets in the East (2018), which premiered at Ji.hlava IDFF. Together, the directors presented the upcoming film, Baltic UXO, at numerous workshops and pitching events (Ex Oriente, EsoDocs, DOK Leipzig, Karlovy Vary, Berlinale Doc Station, among others). Agne was also a Berlinale Talent in 2022.

Production company: Just a moment
Vitebsko 23-491, 11350 Vilnius, Lithuania
www.justamoment.lt
daniele@justamoment.lt

Established in 2007, Just a moment is a Vilnius-based independent production company focusing on auteur films, TV projects and moving images with high artistic value, daring analytic work and experimental aesthetics. Currently, the studio’s filmography consists of 30 completed and released films.

Give Love Create (Az Új Tudás)

Countriy: Hungary
Film length: 80 min
Director: Márton Vizkelety
Producer: Julianna Ugrin
Co-producers: Sundance Institute – The Sandbox Fund, National Film Institute of Hungary, Creative Europe Media, Hungarian Film Incentive
DoP: Márton Vizkelety
Estimated date of premiere: First quarter of 2025

Synopsis: "What is life? Life is a chemical information system.” This quote from scientist and biotech entrepreneur Gyula Dékány highlights his unique perspective that led to groundbreaking discoveries, including the synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides, now used in nutritional products worldwide. Over the past 20 years, Dékány has lived 16,000 km away from his family to pursue scientific breakthroughs. Currently based in Australia with his family, he is working on synthesizing compounds to cure Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s. Is life just a chemical information system?

Director's biography: Marton Vizkelety is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, has a degree in Cinematography from the University of Theater and Film Budapest. He photographed documentaries among others Keep Quiet (TriBeCa, CPH:Dox, Astra FF etc.), Train to Adulthood (ZagrebDox), Ultra (Sarajevo FF, San Sebastian FF).

His debut as a director with Julianna Ugrin, Holy Dilemma has won the Hungarian Film Critics Prize in 2022 for the best documentary, and won the main prize at the Verzio Film Festival, Budapest. He started to work on the project called Give Love Create in 2020, and is planned to be launched in 2025.

Production company: Éclipse Film Kft.
Szemlohegy utca 23/B, 1025 Budapest, Hungary
www.eclipsefilm.hu
julianna.ugrin@eclipsefilm.hu

Éclipse Film is a Budapest-based independent film production company, founded by Julianna Ugrin in 2011. The company concentrates on high-quality productions with relevant, particular or artistic content. Our films have participated in festivals like SUNDANCE, IDFA, HotDocs, DOK Leipzig, Sarajevo IFF, CPH:DOX, to name but a few. The company also co-organized sessions of DunaDOCK, EURODOC and KineDok.

Still Nia (Still Nia)

Countries: France, Romania
Film length: 70 min
Director: Paula Onet
Producers: Ada Solomon, Diana Caravia
Co-producer: Cedric Bonin
DoPs: Paula Onet, Carmen Tofeni
Estimated date of premiere: February 2025

Synopsis: Stefania, called Nia as a child, emerges from a 15-year-long self-induced amnesia. She reveals the overwhelming memories of her childhood spent in Romanian hospitals due to a misdiagnosis. Today, she undertakes an inner exploration through dance and by taking refuge in her own imagination. Dance becomes a new language that helps her reconnect with her past, with others, and especially with her mother.

Director's biography: Both a cinematographer and film director, she works on documentary films and transdisciplinary projects. The short documentary film As You Like It premiered at Karlovy Vary Film Festival and was screened in more than 40 festivals around the world (Dok Leipzig, Tiff, Zagreb Dox, etc.), awarded for best picture, best documentary, best short film and the audience's prize.

Multimedia projects include the interactive installation 4GenWomen which was shown at the famous National Art Gallery in Prague and in other galleries in Turkey, Romania, and Spain.

More about her work at: www.paulaonet.com

Production company: microFILM
Str Gramont 23A, Bucharest, Romania
www.microfilm.eu
microfilm.romania@gmail.com / dianacaravia10@gmail.com

microFILM is a Romanian production company helmed by producers Ada Solomon, Carla Fotea, Diana Caravia, and Alexandru Solomon, that develops and produces socially relevant films which constantly challenge the cinematic language. They aim to nurture fresh talents and help acclaimed directors break new boundaries, united by the belief that films should ask questions which are not always comfortable and show perspectives which are not always visible.

The Big Chief (Wielki Szef)

Country: Poland
Film length: 80 min
Director: Tomasz Wolski
Producer: Anna Gawlita
Co-producers: Maria Choustova, INA (France), ATOMS & VOID (Netherlands), TVP SA, IPN, MIK, KBF
DoP: Tomasz Wolski
Estimated date of premiere: 2025

Synopsis: Leopold Trepper, WWII spy mastermind, faced a Kafkaesque struggle in 1970s Poland. Once a WWII hero, his "Red Orchestra" fame made him a target for the communists. Stripped of his job and under constant surveillance, he desperately sought a passport but was denied. The USSR, his former ally, saw him as a burden.

News of his plight reached France. The activities of the committee for Trepper's release began. Author Gilles Perrault urged him to emigrate, but attempts to document his story or pressure Poland were thwarted by the secret police. French film crew faced confiscation of their film footage. Baseless accusations of espionage further complicated matters.

Finally, after a hunger strike and mounting international pressure, Poland relented. Trepper left, eventually settling in Israel. His story embodies espionage, betrayal, and the unwavering will to survive.

Director's biography: Tomasz Wolski graduated from Wajda School, received his Ph.D. at the Lodz Film School, and participated in Berlinale Talents. He is a member of the European Film Academy. His feature-length documentary In Ukraine premiered at Berlinale 2023, and his preview film, 1970 has been screened at more than 50 international festivals worldwide and has won numerous awards, including Visions du Réel, Krakow Film Festival, Zagrebdox, Festival Film Dokumenter, and Batumi International Art House Film Festival. He is also an editor of Babi Yar. Context and The Kiev Trial by Sergei Loznitsa, A Diary of a Journey and 21xNY by Piotr Stasik, and Horse Riders by Anna Gawlita.

Production company: Kijora Film
Różana 9/10, 02 548 Warsaw, Poland
www.kijorafilm.com/en/
kijora@gmail.com

Kijora Film is a creative space to develop and produce fiction and documentary films. We are working on author-driven films which are looking for new forms of expression and correspond with contemporary life and society.

Our productions were screened and awarded at Berlinale, Visions du Réel, IDFA, Palm Springs FF, Slamdance, Ji.hlava IDFF, Camerimage, Cork FF, Cracow FF, and many other festivals.

Our filmography contains various and appreciated projects from such directors as Tomasz Wolski (An Ordinary Country, 1970), Piotr Stasik (Opera about Poland, A Diary of a Journey), Agnieszka Polska (Hurrah, We Are Still Alive!) and Zuzanna Solakiewicz (Soil), Tomasz Wolski & Piotr Pawlus (In Ukrainie).

The Running Land (Земля, що біжить)

Countries: Lithuania, Ukraine
Film length: 70 min
Director: Olena Siyatovska
Producer: Viktor Shevchenko
Co-producer: Ringaile Lescinskiene
DoP: Olga Oborina
Estimated date of premiere: February 2025

Synopsis: Three chapters depict Ukrainian teenagers navigating the devastating realities of war. Their stories converge around a home built from memories, resurrected from ruins, and fortified into a fortress. The boys, forced to flee eastern Ukraine, form a rock band in Lithuania. Guitarist Senya longs for his grandmother and the bees left behind in Ukraine. After her Kharkiv home is destroyed by war, fourteen-year-old Anna prepares for prom and creates paintings. In Kherson, a large family endures life near the front line, with children playing football and aiding animals, fortified by their home's walls.

Director's biography: Olena Siyatovska is a film director and artist from Ukraine. She was born in the Czech Republic, grew up in Dnipro, lives and works in Kyiv. She graduated from the English Philology Department at the National University of Oles Honchar (Ukraine) and studied New Media at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Fine Arts (Poland).

Her professional experience includes journalism and editing roles across diverse media. I Am Michelle documentary film is the directing debut of Siyatovska. The world premiere of the film took place at MakeDox Festival 2022.

Production company: "CUC" Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema
Yaroslavska 26, 02000 Kyiv, Ukraine
www.cuc.com.ua/
tepertut@gmail.com

Contemporary Ukrainian Cinema (CUC) was founded in 2015 as a filmmakers' collective and a production company to promote young Ukrainian cinema. The first 7 film productions by CUC were made independently of state financing. To this date, CUC has produced 13 short films, 2 feature documentaries and 3 fiction features. CUC's films have been screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Rotterdam, San Sebastián, Warsaw, New Horizons, Palm Springs,ISFF Sleepwalkers.

Tskaltubo (Tskaltubo)

Country: Slovakia
Film length: 65 min
Director: Andrea Kalinová
Producers: Monika Lošťáková, Simona Hrušovská
DoP: Radka Šišuláková
Estimated date of premiere: March 2025

Synopsis: Tskaltubo was the most famous spa during the Soviet Union era. After the country’s collapse and the subsequent war between Abkhazia and Georgia, the spa became the territory’s largest refugee camp (approximately 6 000 people). After 30 years, the government decided to make Tskaltubo a famous resort again, and thus moved most of the displaced people to a new housing estate in the suburbs.

The film follows the last residents of one of the sanatoriums who opted to stay for as long as possible. Despite the trying conditions, they created a new home there and became a family.

Director's biography: Andrea Kalinová studied photography and new media at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Her graduation film The Secret of One Swimming Pool (2006) is a mockumentary explor-ing a never built swimming pool above a tram tunnel in Bratislava. Andrea is a part of the art group NGO Opustená (re)kreácia / Abandoned (re) creation, which works on the restoration of the abandoned Machnáč sanatorium in Trenčianske Teplice. Machnáč also played a starring role in her film Off Season (2018).

Production company: Super film
Mýtna 42, 811 07 Bratislava, Slovakia
www.superfilm.me
monika@superfilm.me

Super film started as a small company with focus on animation production, over time it began to grow into a strong independent company. The company is focused on animated and documentary films and TV projects, currently expanding its portfolio with interesting co-production projects including feature films (Ordinary Failures premiered at Giornate Degli Autori).