DOK Leipzig 2024 is on! With the World premiere of Thomas Riedelsheimer’s documentary film "Tracing Light", our festival was opened on Monday, 28 October at the CineStar theatre.

In his welcoming speech, our festival director Christoph Terhechte emphasised the importance of film as a medium that facilitates understanding: “We aspire to be a festival guided by a willingness to listen to one other. We firmly believe that cinema allows us to tolerate opposing viewpoints and enables dialogue between them. Only by doing this can we can come together to promote peace and coexistence.”

Dr Skadi Jennicke, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Arts of the City of Leipzig, also spoke at the opening: “At a time when the world has in many respects become more complex, more conflict-ridden and more convoluted, DOK Leipzig has a pivotal role to play. The films screened here don’t explain the world to us; they show it to us. More than ever, we as a society must be prepared to look, listen and be receptive to the diverse perspectives that will once again be expressed in Leipzig this year.”

Further highlights of the evening included a screening of the short film “The Diffusion Pilot” by Aurelijus Čiupas and two pieces performed by musician Barbara Morgenstern, who appears as the protagonist in “Barbara Morgenstern – Doing It for Love”.

Also the first prize of the festival has been awarded: This year’s Saxon Award for the Best Documentary Project by a Female Director, endowed with 5,000 euros and donated by the Saxon Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism, went to Ana Kvichidze for her project “Oh, Heart Don’t Be Afraid”.

Parallel to the opening event, “Simply Divine” by Mélody Boulissière and Bogdan Stamatin and “Flowers of Ukraine” by Adelina Borets were screened at the Leipzig Central Station.

Read more in our press release.