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Documentary Competition

These real-life stories go up-close and personal with the people and issues that define who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going.


In-Person
Within a maze, a man on a ladder leans over a hedge.
DocumentaryDocumentary Competition

After Work

Erik Gandini  |   Sweden, Italy, Norway
English, Italian, Norwegian  
Documentary, Political, Social Commentary

In his funny and thought-provoking latest film, Erik Gandini (Videocracy) chronicles the past, present, and future of labor.

In-Person
A black and white image. Illimunated by a single bright light, a man sits in front of a ham radio.
DocumentaryDocumentary Competition

Alien Island Isla Alien

Cristóbal Valenzuela  |   Chile, Italy
Spanish  
Documentary, Political, Science Fiction

During Chile’s military dictatorship, radio operators receive messages from an alien race. Are they real, or is it something more insidious?

In-Person
Streaming
Under a tent lined with string lights, a man and a woman stand closely. He looks down while she gazes as him.
DocumentaryDocumentary CompetitionWomen in Cinema

Because We Have Each Other

Sari Braithwaite  |   Australia
English  
Documentary, Family Affairs, Women Centered

This wondrous and warm-hearted documentary follows a neurodivergent Australian family as they experience the joys, misfortunes, and traumas of everyday life.

In-Person
Two women stand on a rooftop, staring out at the countryside.
DocumentaryDocumentary CompetitionWomen in Cinema

Bye Bye Tiberias

Lina Soualem  |   France, Palestine, Belgium, Qatar
French, Palestinian Arabic  
Documentary, Family Affairs, Political, Women Centered

Filmmaker Lina Souaelm traces the journeys of her mother — Palestinian actress Hiam Abbas — and the women of her extended family, whose lives have been defined by separation, exile, and resilience.

In-Person
A girl in a warm hooded coat leads a horse by the bridle.
Best of the FestCommunity CinemaDocumentaryDocumentary CompetitionWomen in Cinema

The Echo El Eco

Tatiana Huezo  |   Mexico, Germany
Spanish  
Coming of Age, Documentary, Women Centered

From the acclaimed director of Prayers for the Stolen comes an exquisitely textured coming-of-age story about an adolescent girl in rural Mexico.

In-Person
Four women lay together, holding each other tenderly.
DocumentaryDocumentary CompetitionWomen in Cinema

Four Daughters

Kaouther Ben Hania  |   France, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Tunisia, Cyprus
Arabic  
Documentary, Family Affairs, Religion, Women Centered

An artistic Cannes-winning tour-de-force blending documentary and fiction that explores the secret trauma at the heart of a Tunisian family.

In-Person
A family in a car together, all eyes on a little girl in centerframe. She holds out a note.
DocumentaryDocumentary Competition

In the Rearview Skąd dokąd

Maciek Hamela  |   Poland, France, Ukraine
English, French, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian  
Documentary, Political, Social Commentary

In this sublime documentary, civilians fleeing war-torn Ukraine share intimate stories of struggle and resilience in the backseat of a minivan.

In-Person
In the center of a brick city street gathers a group of people in strange vintage costumes.
ArchitectureDocumentaryDocumentary Competition

Pictures of Ghosts Retratos fantasmas

Kleber Mendonça Filho  |   Brazil
Portuguese  
Architecture, Art, Documentary, Social Commentary

From acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho comes an incisive and whimsical essay film about movies, memory, and the places of one’s past.

Documentary Program Sponsors

Logo: WTTW (2019) Cynthia Stone Raskin