Category: BEST DOCUMENTARY – ARFF BERLIN 2026

Original Film Title: Old Fairground

Director’s Name: Nikola Đurović, Aleksandra Mitić

Writer’s Name: Nikola Đurović, Aleksandra Mitić

Producer: Aleksandra Mitić

Country of Origin: Serbia

Country of Filming: Germany, Serbia

Language: English, German, Serbian

Runtime: 1 hour 17 minutes 24 seconds

Film Description:

This documentary explores the history of the Old Fairgrounds (Staro Sajmište) in Belgrade – from its grand opening as a symbol of progress in the 1930s, through its dark transformation into a concentration camp during World War II, to its neglected and controversial status in present day.

Original Film Title: The People´s Code

Director’s Name: Coizta Grecko

Writer’s Name: Gabriela Retes Campesino

Producer: Ana Paula Valdovinos Alba, Vanessa Ciangherotti Roffiel

Country of Origin: Mexico

Country of Filming : Mexico

Language: English, Spanish

Runtime: 53 minutes 40 seconds

Film Description:

A brilliant German programmer and a fierce Mixtec activist challenge the financial system by creating tools of freedom for excluded communities, confronting not only historical inequality but also the threat of being silenced by those who wield power.

Original Film Title: Solitary Road

Director’s Name: Johan Palmgren

Writer’s Name: Johan Palmgren, Kaveh Akaber

Producer: Johan Palmgren

Country of Origin: Sweden

Country of Filming : Norway, Sweden

Language: Swedish

Runtime: 1 hour 16 minutes

Film Description:

There is a road in the middle of the wilderness, far North of the Arcitic Circle in the Swedish mountains. It was built 1955 and was supposed to lead to Norway. The work was interrupted and now there is only a fragment of a road of 20 kilometres without connection to the general road system. Along the road there are five villages, where time has stopped. There is no electricity nor any water. The villagers have transported old cars over the ice of the lake Torneträsk from Kiruna to this unique place. The cars date from the 60 ́s and 70s. We filmed big and small aspects of life here for three years.

Original Film Title: In the Midst of Art and Devotion

Director’s Name: Ayans Lam Miguez

Writer’s Name: David Marlon Pac Pacajoj, Ayans Lam Miguez

Producer: Ayans Lam Miguez

Country of Origin: Guatemala

Country of Filming : Guatemala

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 35 minutes 5 seconds

Film Description:

This documentary explores the altarpieces, sculptures, paintings, and unique structures like the circular bell tower, showing how each element served as a catechetical tool and an expression of the fusion between the maya´s world and Catholic tradition. Through aerial shots, historical records, and expert testimonies, the documentary invites viewers to discover the importance of preserving this living heritage, which represents not only centuries of history but also the devotion and memory of an entire community.

Original Film Title: Searching for the Paradise on Earth

Director’s Name: Sam Osmanagich

Writer’s Name: Sam Osmanagich

Producer: Sam Osmanagich

Country of Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Country of Filming : Bahrain

Language: English

Runtime: 1 hour 3 minutes 57 seconds

Film Description:

Anthropologist Dr Sam Osmanagich is searching for the Lost Paradise on Earth, Land of Immortality, where supreme deity Enki lived for thousand of years. Has he found it in the beautiful Kingdom of Bahrain?

Original Film Title: Chronicles of the Inconvenient Truth

Director’s Name: Kaloian Nikolov

Writer’s Name: Kaloian Nikolov, Atanas Krustanov

Producer: Kaloian Nikolov, Peter Draganov

Country of Origin: Bulgaria

Country of Filming: Bulgaria

Language: Bulgarian

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes 35 seconds

Film Description:

Chernobyl’s 1986 fallout hit Bulgaria hard: regime fear left civilians exposed via tainted feed, milk, and meat – the “Bulgarian Chernobyl” – while soldiers and the high class were spared.
Post-soviet media frenzy unleashed tragedy’s farce: wild claims sparked panic, needless risks, and threats to nuclear progress. History’s unlearned lessons leave a nation perilously exposed.