This October I join the International Competition jury at DOK Leipzig — the 69th edition of the world’s oldest documentary and animation film festival, running 26 October to 1 November in Leipzig.

DOK Leipzig has been a recurring presence in my work for years — as a place to show films, to meet filmmakers, to think about what documentary cinema can be and where it is going. It carries a particular weight in my own history: in 2021, Republic of Silence received a Special Mention and the Goethe-Institut Documentary Award in the International Competition — the same section I now join as a juror. There is something quietly meaningful about returning in that capacity.

The International Competition is where the festival’s Golden and Silver Doves are awarded across feature and short documentary categories. I take the role seriously and I look forward to the films.

I will also be in Leipzig for the NNF Fellowship at the DOK Co-Pro Market on 26–27 October.

Photo © Jovana Semiz