"DokuFest" kicks off its quarter-century celebration with "Continuous Disobedience"

Instead of a spectacle, the audience watched a video that summarized a little of the 25 years of history of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival. A journey through the collective memory of “DokuFest”, recalling its transformation from a small civic initiative into a festival with an international reputation. The surprise of the evening was also the appearance on stage of one of the festival leaders, the artistic director, Veton Nurkollari. “In 2002 we changed our minds”, began Nurkollari’s story at the opening. The story of an initiative how everything started from nothing

Between festivals that open with spectacles and long speeches and others that choose to speak through the work itself in the days that follow, for 25 years “DokuFest” has belonged to the second category. The opening and closing ceremonies have never been a competition for pomp. They have always been a sign of departure for nine days filled with films, music, discussions, educational programs and meetings that turn Prizren into an international center of culture.

Even the opening ceremony of the jubilee edition remained faithful to this philosophy. Without unnecessary rhetoric and without imposed spectacle, the festival began where its identity is rooted: in public space, under the open sky, above the river and among the silhouette of the historic city.

“Kino Lumi”, the improvised cinema on the bed of the “Lumbardhi”, once again became the heart of the festival. For the second year in a row, due to the renovation of the “Lumbardhi” cinema, the opening ceremony took place in this space that has already created its own identity. On the river that runs through the city, with the Castle rising above Prizren and with the historical architecture that surrounds the stage, the ceremony also has a special dimension from the image itself. It was not just a film event. It was also a meeting between the city, history and the public.

The rain also added additional symbolism to the atmosphere. Just like in the first edition, in September 2002, the rain accompanied the Friday of the quarter-century festival. For the organizers and those who have followed the festival's journey, this was an emotional return to the beginnings of a history that has today become one of the most important cultural events in Kosovo and the region.

Instead of a spectacle, the audience watched a video that summarized a little of the 25 years of the festival's history. A journey through the collective memory of "DokuFest", recalling its transformation from a small civic initiative into a festival with an international reputation. The surprise of the evening was also the appearance on stage of one of the festival's leaders, the artistic director, Veton Nurkollari.

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"In 2002, we decided to go our separate ways," began Nurkollar's opening story. The story of an initiative that started from nothing.

"We never thought we would be here after 25 years, and especially that we would open a festival that would in one way or another become part of our lives. In 2002, it rained a lot, none of us thought we would come to where we are. None of us came from the field of cinematography and we had no infrastructure," Nurkollari said, among other things, before the criticism of the local government in Prizren began.

Although the seat was reserved for Mayor Shaqir Totaj, he did not participate in the opening ceremony of "DokuFest".

According to Nurkollar, the festival has not been grateful enough, because culture is not a luxury, because "DokuFest" is a festival and not decoration.

"The Municipality of Prizren can close our doors, it can cut off our funding, but it cannot stop 'DokuFest'," he said on stage.

This year’s official motto, “Document, because we must!”, and the theme “Persistent Defiance,” have placed the jubilee edition in a much broader context than film art itself. The organizers see this anniversary not as an occasion for self-aggrandizement, but as a reflection on the times in which they live – a time of wars, authoritarianism, rising fascism, and global crises. In this context, film does not remain just an artistic medium, but becomes an act of resistance, memory, and reflection.

The festival itself describes the return of focus to itself as a political act. After a quarter of a century of existence, they recall that the journey has never been easy and that this year too they are faced with the lack of traditional screening spaces. The closure of the “Lumbardhi” cinema for renovation and the absence of the two improvised cinemas in Kala have changed the map of the festival, but not its spirit. On the contrary, the organizers consider this another proof of what they call “continuous disobedience” to structures, restrictions and imposed normality.

In fact, this is also the message conveyed by this year's visual identity.

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For the fifth year in a row, the official “teaser” and visual concept of the opening ceremony was created by Leart Rama. Instead of an image that only celebrates the success of the festival, he has built an intimate narrative about the need for human closeness in times of crisis.

"When I created this year's 'teaser', I tried to reflect not only on what is happening in the world, but also on what is happening around us - as a festival, as a society, and as people in Kosovo," said Rama.

According to him, the main idea was to return to human connections.

"I thought it was important to convey the idea that we need more closeness to each other, more love and understanding. We need to be present, not only physically, but also emotionally, for the people around us. When this idea is combined with the 25th anniversary of the festival, a natural connection is created between collective memory and the need to be close to each other. I believe that this is precisely the message that 'DokuFest' conveys this year," he explained.

This philosophy is also translated into the content of the “teaser”. It invites people to choose life, love, closeness and humanity, without asking permission and without surrendering in the face of grim realities. It is a call to remain human in a world that often seems to lose this quality. The music, lyrics, mixing and mastering were also done by Leart Rama, making the video a complete work of authorship.

After the ceremony, the festival officially opened the program with the feature film “Phenomena”, the directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Josef Gatti. The film is a drama with fantastic and psychological elements that follows characters faced with extraordinary experiences, exploring the boundaries between reality, perception and human trauma. Through a powerful visual language and a narrative that challenges the expectations of the viewer, “Phenomena” addresses themes such as identity, fear, survival and the relationship of the individual with the world around them.

Although not a documentary, the choice of this film to open the festival is in line with the philosophy of “DokuFest”, which for years has not limited itself to classic documentary, but builds a dialogue between different forms of cinema that raise questions about society, memory and the human condition. “Phenomena” responds to this spirit by placing the individual in front of forces greater than themselves and inviting the audience to reflect on how we deal with the unknown.

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The jubilee edition will last until August 15 and will once again transform Prizren into a city where cinema meets public life. From 3,687 applications from around the world, the programming team has selected 104 films in competition, divided into eight official categories, while a significant part of them will be screened as world premieres.

Beyond the competition, the public will have the opportunity to attend special film programs, author retrospectives, discussions with directors, panels, film industry activities, the educational programs of 'DokuLab', 'DokuTalks', 'DokuKids' as well as the traditional concerts of 'DokuNights' that extend the festival atmosphere until late every evening. Thus, this year too, "DokuFest" remains much more than a film festival: it is a collective experience that makes the city breathe in the rhythm of cinema.