This phrase from one of the most engaging of writer-aviators, outlines
a philosophy of action as an antidote to despondency and can be understood as the rallying cry of many of the filmmakers selected this year. Their films would appear to assert that as long as there are documentary films, despair can’t really take hold.
The current political context in France, with mounting cut-backs on public
service broadcasting and financial decisions undermining culture, raises serious concerns for the documentary filmmaking industry. We shall continue to defend this form of expression, convinced of its diversity, cultural richness, and democratic necessity. France pioneered the concept of “cultural exception” to recognize the specific role of cultural industries, protecting them from the forces of the free market alone. At the European level, this political exception will likely need to be reinforced, with a renewed emphasis on “cultural sovereignty.”
For its 8th edition Fipadoc reaffirms its position as a citizen’s Festival, powered by filmmakers ready to tackle the rough edges of reality (Redlight to Limelight), to reveal secrets of the past (The Exported: the Dark Trade of Cold War), or the present (Trade Secret). And also, foster reflection (The Hippocratic Dilemma) while looking ahead towards new horizons (A Fox under a Pink Moon, Little Big Minds).
Fipadoc brings the world to you with over 150 films from 35 countries.
By nature, it is a traveling festival, journeying across the globe through film while highlighting specific countries each year. In 2026, the Focus turns
to Spain and Portugal, with more than twenty films ranging from poetic works
(Good Valley Stories, The Marisma) to politically engaged storytelling (Building Memory: Writing, Commitment and Memory), and more personal narratives (The Undergrowth).
What does our selection say about our times?
Unsurprisingly it shows that the world is not doing quite so well. Yet, despite the years of war on the Eastern Front and in Gaza, rising from the rubble, documentary cameras are capturing glimmers of hope. From the ruins of Gaza emerges an exuberant figure (The Clown of Gaza), determined to keep laughter alive as a means towards rehabilitation. Or the voice of a Ukrainian soldier quietening the sound of Russian bombs (My Dear Théo) as she describes the society she dreams of for her son and for which she is fighting, weapons and camera in hand.
Major ecological and social issues are explored through deeply personal
stories: a fashion designer who fuses creativity with environmental responsibility (Dust to Dust); American librarians rising up to defend free access to books and freedom of thought (The Librarians), victims and perpetrators of femicide confronting one another face to face (The Repair), and even a powerful love story defying racism and geography (The Cycle of Love).
In the face of these upheavals, hope is ever present, very real and vibrant,
thanks to men and particularly to the goodwill of women as portrayed by the ebullient heroine of Coexistence My Ass!, seeking to appease the wounds of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the healing power of laughter, Hair, Paper, Water... capturing the fleeting souvenirs of a Vietnamese grandmother as she relates them to her grandchildren, the Burkinabe midwife who founded a maternity ward in the heart of the savanna (Wolobougou) or the Mothers of Chibok, proof that Africa’s future lies in the hands of its women. Closer to home, the young lawyer, Maïmouna, the Voice of the 9-3 who defy prejudice and determinism. All these women are living proof that nothing is insurmountable!
What better way to express this hope shared across the globe and reflected
in over 150 films, than through dance, a common thread weaving through several of our categories? From the fluid and elastic choreography of a Chinese fisherman’s son in Dance with the Gods.
You will discover the rehearsals for the final production by the director of the Biarritz Ballet in Malandain: When Love Takes Shape.
Through a virtual reality experience in the Equatorian The Pilaro Devil Dance, a dive into a techno journey with Rave or the elegance of Dance Dance Dance – Matisse.
Hope is here – should we care to look for it – despite the constant and obscuring flow of current events.
One of the strengths of documentary filmmaking is to bring the depth of human experience and archival memory when current events catch up with us. See Latin America, a continent under influences, a series that sheds light on the long history of North American presence in the southern part of the continent, and The Rural Vet, with Amélie, who works tirelessly with farmers in her corner of the Loire-Atlantique region.
This is why we invite you to join us in the theaters to see through your own eyes that documentaries remain a powerful tool for reflection, helping to challenge our own fears and shift perspective. Let the magic of cinema take over in this privileged space where we can connect with others through the screen enabling us to feel responsible rather than discouraged.
