The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival hosted the fourth edition of the Ji.hlava New Visions Forum and Market, focused on auteur-driven documentary projects in development and production from across Europe, the USA and Asian territories (see the news). Cineuropa takes a closer look at the European projects at the production and post-production stage.

Books Are Our Weapons - Maté Konkol (Hungary)

This is a hybrid documentary by Hungarian director Maté Konkol, known for his work as assistant director to Szabolcs Hajdu and László Nemes. Currently in post-production and set for an April 2025 premiere, the film follows Noémi and Péter, newcomers to FÉSZEK – a community of university students committed to critical social theory and activism. The project originally started as a fiction film with documentary elements and turned into a documentary film with fiction film elements, while the director preserved the fiction film stylisation. Books Are Our Weapons features participants playing themselves with improvised dialogues, creating a fully participatory experience. Produced by the director and Balász Zachar, they are seeking co-producers, funding for sound post-production, and a sales agent.

Divia – Dymtro Hreshko (Ukraine/Poland/Netherlands)

An observational documentary set for a December 2024 premiere, Divia is in post-production and has reached picture lock after a year of editing. The film explores the devastating ecological impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Through a meditative, dialogue-free narrative, Hreshko follows deminers, body searchers, environmentalists, and animal activists as they navigate forests reduced to ash and fields scarred by explosions, striving to restore the country's fragile ecosystems. The producer revealed they will be collaborating with composer Sam Slater (Chernobyl, Joker, Joker 2). The film is currently undergoing colour grading. The production—by UP UA STUDIO, Gogol Film, and Valk Productions—is seeking festival programmers, sales agents, and distributors.

Homemade Mulberry Vodka – Anzhela Frangyan (Armenia/France/Sweden)

In her feature directorial debut, experienced producer Anzhela Frangyan embarks on a personal journey. She is the protagonist in the film that captures Armenia amidst a war. With half of its budget already secured—including development funds and the collaboration of the editor from 5 Broken Cameras [+lee también:
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The Castle – Danny Biancardi, Virginia Nardelli, Stefano La Rosa (Italy/France)

Set in the isolated neighbourhood of Danisinni in Palermo, The Castle is a hybrid documentary currently in post-production, aiming for a February 2025 premiere. The film centres on three 11-year-olds – Angelo, Mery, and Rosy – who find refuge in a derelict building where their imaginations soar. However, their sanctuary is threatened by the city's plans to renovate the site after 15 years of neglect. Blending observational and participatory filmmaking, the documentary addresses social issues and coming-of-age themes within a marginalised community. With shooting completed over multiple sessions between 2022 and 2024 and editing finalised in August 2024, the production – backed by Zalab Film and La Société du Sensible – is now seeking pre-sales to finish post-production, build visibility, and collaborate with sales agents, aiming for a release in early 2025.

The Flight of the Stork – Berta Salas, Soumaya Djahdou (Spain/Algeria)

The Flight of the Stork follows Djahdou's journey as she navigates the complexities of her Algerian heritage and her relationship with her mother while preparing for a trip to Algeria during Ramadan, accompanied by Salas who documents their experiences. The journey turns into an exploration of identity, cultural divides, and family expectations. Having just completed their final shooting phase and achieved picture lock, the production is now focused on post-production. Producer Matheus Mello of Migranta Films is seeking additional funding, co-producers, financiers, and festival agents. They aim to premiere the film in February 2025.

The Violent Skin – André Robert (Sweden/Costa Rica/Spain)

Marking his feature debut after a decade in the making, André Robert's hybrid autobiographic documentary explores the intergenerational cycles of repression and violence within his own family. Returning to his family's coastal cabin in Cuajiniquil, Costa Rica, Robert invokes the ghost of his late father to have the conversation they never could in life. Confronting themes of inherited trauma and his repressed homosexuality, he intertwines personal narrative with broader issues like climate change threatening to erase his ancestral home. Having completed the final filming period, the project is now in the editing phase with a rough cut expected for early January and picture lock by Spring 2025. Produced by Sisyfos Film Production, the team aims for a summer 2025 premiere at an A-list festival. They are seeking film programmers, sales agents, distributors.

Wasteland Chronicles – Viera Čákanyová, Barbora Sliepková, Lucia Kašová (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

A hybrid documentary set against the backdrop of Slovakia's most perilous toxic dump sites, Wasteland Chronicles brings together three Slovak directors from the young generation, who've already premiered their works internationally, to shed light on environmental crises often overlooked by politicians and the public. Each filmmaker tackles one of the country's three most critical ecological burdens – a fraction of the 1,200 identified – using distinct cinematic approaches to convey a unified message about ecological grief and the urgent need for change. The first chapter, by Sliepková, follows a protagonist transformed by living in a contaminated zone; Kašová's second delves into public health impacts on a family and animals; the third, by Čákanyová, envisions a future protagonist grappling with the long-term consequences of today's inaction rendered in video game aesthetics. The producers from filmsomnia and Cinémotif Films are seeking to address political and scientific topics relevant to activists and scientists alike. Aiming for a May 2025 premiere and a spring 2026 release, the team is looking for sales agents, financiers, and festivals.