Prejudice and discrimination faced by women in Mexico through the story of an indigenous woman who spent ten years in a psychiatric clinic. The path of a young queer Muslim woman to recognition and fame. These are movie plots. “Woman of Stars and Mountains” (to Santiago Estein) and “Coming” (Sandra Itainen), respectively, which will be screened at the world premiere and will compete in the context of the 25th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival.

These two films are part of a rich program of 32 world, international and European premieres, which we will visit from March 2 to March 12 in the cinemas of the capital. All documentaries compete for six major official awards and 14 smaller ones, most of which come with major prizes. But the one that wins the Golden Alexander will also be in contention for a place on the list of documentaries that will be pre-selected for the next Academy Awards. Exactly the same thing happened to Simon Lehreng-Wilmond’s FNTH-winning film House of Pieces, which is now in the top five Oscar nominations for Best Documentary.

This year’s event is dedicated to important issues of our time. For example, in issues of gender oppression and women’s emancipation, in documents, evidence of shocking historical events, in personal stories of human superiority, strength and will, as well as in documentaries that emphasize the importance of the environment and the planet.

And among them are nine Greek productions that are expected to excite the viewer. Such as Mighty Afrin: During the Floods by Angelos Rallis, which addresses the issue of climate refugees, Zakros by Philippos Koutsaftis, wandering through the labyrinths of time and historical memory, or Light Falls Vertically by Efthymia Zimvragaki, which captures the painful situation of domestic violence.