Trochę Krytyczni and their top six films at WATCH DOCS | WATCH DOCS

Daniel Włodkowski
Trochę Krytyczni

Documentary film is a genre that is, in its own way, exceptional — often carrying the emotional dynamism of narrative cinema, while at the same time allowing us to discover and get closer to a story that truly happened. We know, therefore, that behind it stands not only a screenwriter or director, but above all life itself.
Which documentaries do Trochę Krytyczni recommend just before the start of the WATCH DOCS festival?

“Silver” – A film by Natalia Koniarz exploring life inside the silver mines of Potosí in Bolivia. Despite living in the 21st century, miners still face murderous, inhumane conditions that — regardless of technological advancement — evoke the brutality of colonial times. A bold, visually stunning work that allows invisible people to step into the light, striking even harder through its context.

“Cover-Up” – Laura Poitras, Oscar-winning director of Citizenfour about Edward Snowden, joins forces with Mark Obenhaus to examine the life of Seymour Hersh — a true legend of investigative journalism and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Beyond portraying Hersh himself, the film tackles major global issues, from the Mỹ Lai massacre in Vietnam to the genocide in Palestine and the sabotage of Nord Stream.

“Child of Dust” – The story of Sang, the son of an American soldier and a Vietnamese woman, who after 50 years gets a chance to meet his father. To make this possible, however, he must leave his family and move abroad permanently. Weronika Mliczewska’s film not only impresses with its craft but also deeply moves, confronting the viewer with themes that linger long after the credits.

“Imago” – In examining the inheritance of a piece of land and the dilemmas tied to it, Déni Oumar Pitsaev paints a portrait of life within the Chechen diaspora in Georgia. Trying to find his own place in this community, he asks important questions about authenticity and true identity.

“Kabul, Between Prayers” – The story of Samim, a Taliban fighter guarding order at a makeshift police checkpoint in central Kabul. His greatest dream, however, is to die a martyr in a suicide attack. Aboozar Amini shows the reality of contemporary Afghanistan with no half-measures, filming gripping hidden-camera scenes from the streets of the capital.

“Teenage Wasteland” – Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss recount the story of high school students from a small town near New York who, in the early 1990s, uncovered an environmental pollution scandal — documenting it themselves on film. Over 30 years later, the directors revisit the legacy of that production, speaking with its original creators.