The 2024 edition of dok.incubator (see the news), an eight-month international mentorship programme running from April to November that guides eight documentary projects at the rough-cut stage through intensive editing, script doctoring, distribution and marketing strategy development in order to maximise their global reach, has showcased this year’s selected projects. They tell diverse stories, ranging from cultural displacement and personal sacrifice to family dynamics and identity, highlighting tales from war-torn regions, generational trauma, and the clash between tradition and modernity.

Here we take a detailed look at the projects that took part:

The Town that Drove Away - Natalia Pietsch, Grzegorz Piekarski (Poland)
Directors Natalia Pietsch and Grzegorz Piekarski chronicle the disappearance of an ancient Kurdish town, Hasankeyf, beneath the waters of a dam project hailed as a triumph of modernity by the Turkish government. Through the intertwined stories of Rengin, a shepherd, and Burak, a barber, the film captures the devastating personal toll of displacement, as residents face Kafkaesque bureaucracy, the loss of homes and livelihoods, and the erasure of cultural heritage. Produced by Katarzyna Kostecka, of LARMO, with co-production support from the Polish Film Institute, Polish National Television and Maczu Piczu, The Town that Drove Away will be ready for a premiere in January 2025. Kostecka is looking for sales agents and festivals.

The Roots of Madness by Edgar Hagen

The Roots of Madness – Edgar Hagen (Switzerland)
Veteran European TV reporter Ulrich Tilgner, who has 40 years of experience in the region, returns to Afghanistan, Iraq and Rojava in Syria to investigate the enduring impact of Western interference in endless wars in Edgar Hagen’s documentary The Roots of Madness, which he calls a film about collective madness. Through encounters with witnesses, survivors and those who resist, the film explores the cyclical violence that forces many to flee, even as some strive to stay. Confronting the role of US and European actions, the documentary also highlights the dual plight and power of women – both as the greatest victims and as pivotal agents of hope for a self-determined society. The final edits are being completed for both the theatrical and the series versions. The producers are seeking sales agents and festivals, as the film will be ready in spring 2025.

Child of Dust – Weronika Mliczewska (Poland/Vietnam/Czech Republic/Sweden)
After a lifetime of longing, Sang, a child left behind by a US soldier after the Vietnam War, finally meets his terminally ill father in the USA, leaving his family in Vietnam behind in Weronika Mliczewska’s observational, character-driven documentary Child of Dust. Scarred by discrimination and war, Sang’s journey comes at a high emotional cost as he struggles to navigate a foreign culture and an American family that never knew of him. Mliczewska explores the collision between past and present, cultural barriers and unspoken pain in Sang’s search for belonging and reconciliation, unveiling hidden secrets and painful truths on his transformative journey. The documentary is nearing its final edit and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Child of Dust is being produced by Ya Man Studio Sp z oo, and co-produced by Clubhouse, Lonely Production and Ginestra Film. The producers are actively seeking festivals, sales agents and distributors.

Always by Deming Chen

Always – Deming Chen (USA/France/China)
Deming Chen’s poetic black-and-white documentary revolving around adolescence follows Gong Youbin, a boy growing up in rural Hunan, China, as he reflects on his solitary childhood and transitions into adulthood. Born into poverty and abandoned by his mother as an infant, Gong finds solace and expression in poetry, inspired by a school class. Against the backdrop of his family’s hardships and his dreams, the film captures the loss of innocence and the inevitability of facing harsh realities. Producer Hansen Lin, of HandsOn Studio Films, is looking for sales agents, festivals and potential partners, as the film is being readied for early 2025. The documentary is being co-produced by SaNoSi Productions.

I Hear Your Voice – Roy Cohen (France/Israel/Denmark/Hungary/Switzerland/Italy)
In the midst of escalating conflict, Israeli journalist and activist Roy Cohen faces a dilemma as a new father: stay and resist the violence, or leave to protect his family? Living in Tel Aviv with his American husband and daughter, Roy reflects on his past involvement with Middle Eastern peacemakers and questions whether their vision of coexistence was ever realistic in this documentary. Against the backdrop of deepening societal violence following the 7 October Hamas attack and Israel’s response in Gaza, the director, who is also the protagonist, revisits old friendships with Palestinian and Israeli allies. I Hear Your Voice is being produced by Temps Noir, and co-produced by Dune Productions, Akka Films, The Piranesi Experience and campfilm. The movie is currently in editing, and the final cut is expected by April 2025, with completion anticipated by autumn 2025.

Supernatural by Ventura Durall

Supernatural - Ventura Durall (Spain/Belgium/France)
Many believe André Malby, a shaman, had supernatural powers; his son Mathu, a medical doctor, does not. As Mathu, a rational loner, confronts Anna Alarcon, a devoted follower claiming Malby saved her through telepathic healing, he is forced to reconcile his scepticism with his father’s legacy. This clash becomes an exploration of the tension between science and spirituality in Ventura Durall’s documentary, as well as a journey through family trauma and opposing worldviews. The documentary is being produced by Nanouk Films, and co-produced by Harald House and Massala Production, and after five years of work, the final rough cut is ready. Producer Maria Colomer Canyelles is seeking a sales agent and a festival premiere.

9-Month Contract – Ketevan Vashagashvili (Georgia/Bulgaria/Germany)
In Tbilisi, Zhana, a homeless mother, turns to surrogacy to secure a future for her teenage daughter, Elene. What begins as a desperate financial solution evolves into an act of sacrifice, as Zhana endures multiple pregnancies at great personal risk. Documentarian Ketevan Vashagashvili follows Zhana as her health deteriorates, while Elene matures and confronts the consequences of her mother’s choices. Captured over a decade-long friendship with the pair, the film explores the limits of unconditional maternal love and sacrifice, and mother-daughter relationships. 1991 Productions is producing 9-Month Contract alongside Agitprop and Vincent Productions, which serve as co-producers. The film is at the editing stage, and producers Nino Chichua and Anna Khazaradze are looking for festivals, partners, broadcasters and additional funding to close the financial gap.

Love Exposed by Filip Remunda

Love Exposed – Filip Remunda (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Czech documentarian Filip Remunda follows his colleague Blanka Kulová, a film editor and mother of three, as she confronts her eccentric father, the photographer of nudes Vlastimil Kula, in what the director calls an “absurd tragicomedy”. Determined to break the family’s cycle of dysfunction and trauma, she embarks on a journey of surreal yet heartfelt confrontations. Blending humour and drama, the film explores the clash between art, family and personal growth, using what Remunda describes as “satirical and emphatic film language that celebrates absurdity and the joy of life”. Hypermarket Film is producing with Slovak producer Peter Kerekes, of kerekesfilm, and HBO Europe co-producing. Producer Tereza Horská is looking for a sales agent, distributors, festival premieres and pre-sales. Completion is expected in early 2025.