The point of protest on Thursday at WATCH DOCS | WATCH DOCS

On Thursday at WATCH DOCS, we invite you to a discussion about the meaning of protest — and to meetings following the screenings!

At 6:15 p.m. at Kino Muranów, the Polish premiere of “The Encampments” will begin.

The film documents the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that swept across American university campuses in 2024. It all starts at Columbia University in New York — a bastion of free speech, where students protested against the Vietnam War in the 1960s. This time, in protest against the university’s investments in the arms industry, students first set up a tent camp and then launch an occupation strike. The filmmakers brilliantly capture the feverish atmosphere of engagement among young people who, regardless of the consequences, stand up for the most important values.

Following the screening, a discussion titled “The Point of Protest” will take place. Can the boycott stop Israel?” We will ask whether society has the tools to react and to compel those in power to make ethical decisions — even when such choices are seen as contrary to the interests of the state or the biggest corporations.

At 6:00 p.m., also at Kino Muranów, the screening of “On My Own Terms” will begin.

“Director Tadeusz Chudy, with his characteristic gentle attentiveness, observes the coming of age of an unusual pair of siblings. Paweł inherited from his Nigerian father the build of a boxer. Julka is an incorrigible rebel, searching for her place in the world. They live in a children’s home, but as they near adulthood, they must look for new ways to shape their lives.”
After the screening, there will be a meeting with the director and the film’s protagonist.

At 6:00 p.m. in KINOMUZEUM, we invite you to the screening of “Lost for Words” and a meeting with its director, Hannah Papacek Harper.

“This beautiful, poetic film can be seen as a manifesto calling for the renewal — or rebuilding — of our own connections with nature. It features both breathtaking shots of monumental seaside cliffs and fascinating close-ups of insects and plants. We will hear long-forgotten words and see images worth remembering for a long time.”

Finally, at 8:30 p.m., also in KINOMUZEUM, there will be a screening and discussion with the director of “Special Operation”.

“Oleksiy Radynski assembled his latest film from very specific archival materials. All footage in ‘Special Operation’ comes from security cameras installed at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 2022. As the title suggests, the occupation of the facility by Russian troops becomes a metaphor for the entire full-scale invasion — chaotic, ill-prepared, and, in essence, absurd.”

See you at the cinema!