The 64th Krakow Film Festival, which starts on Sunday, May 26, features many documentaries focused on social issues and human rights. Three of these films have been nominated by WATCH DOCS, meaning they will be screened during the 24th edition of our festival this winter. Here are our nominations:

"Silent Trees” directed by Agnieszka Zwiefka
Runa, a sixteen-year-old Kurdish girl, fled Iraq to escape ISIS attacks. She and her family got stuck at the Polish-Belarusian border but eventually managed to reach Poland. She had to grow up quickly: after her mother's death, she became the head of the family. She now has to take care of her four younger brothers and her father, who is struggling with increasing difficulties. The film follows their uncertain fate, focusing on the portrait of an ordinary yet extraordinary teenager. We get to know her better through her animated drawings. The world premiere of the film took place at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival.

“Intercepted” directed by Oksana Karpovych
What do Russian soldiers talk about when they call home from the front lines? The phone conversations recorded by Ukrainian special services in the first half-year of the war present a very different picture than the one created by Kremlin propaganda. The intercepted statements are juxtaposed with footage of what the barbaric invaders left behind. The result is not only a double testimony of destruction, looting, and war crimes. It is also a gripping story about the real emotions, moods, and moments of doubt that sometimes accompany the aggressors or their families. Combined with post-apocalyptic views, it creates a shocking study of enslavement and conformity. The world premiere of the film took place at this year’s Berlinale.

“Of Caravans and the Dogs” directed by Askold Kurov
It has long been known that the first casualty of war is truth. In Russia, those who speak it are considered foreign agents. For example, journalists from “Novaya Gazeta,” which received the Nobel Peace Prize half a year before the invasion of Ukraine. But how can this independent voice be preserved under increasing repression? Combining official and unofficial recordings, mostly by anonymous authors, the film documents the heroic work of Russian journalists, their dilemmas related to emigration, censorship, or self-censorship, and the rare expressions of opposition spirit in that society.

The 64th Krakow Film Festival will run until June 2, and the 24th WATCH DOCS International Film Festival will take place this year from November 22 to December 1.