Events
The schedule of the 20th MDAG included a total of 292 accompanying events, concerts, and Q&A sessions - both offline and online.
In addition to numerous debates and discussions that thematically related to the films, there were also workshop sessions, including dance lessons, Drag Show, and an introduction to Zen meditation. As every year, there were also evening events and musical performances. In two cities, we organized a unique immersive music-film experience as part of the screening of the film "32 Sounds".
For the first time, a Safe Space was established at the Kinoteka cinema in Warsaw - a secure area for discussions about mental health, sexuality, and identity. Within the Safe Space alone, there were 17 events!
Selected Special Events
Following Pina's Movement: MDAG Dance Workshop
A meeting with Dr. Katarzyna Anna Małachowska, a certified dance instructor and lecturer at the Acting Department of the AST St. Wyspiański Krakow Academy, allowed participants of the workshop to experience the working methods of the outstanding Pina Bausch.
From Q's Archives: Docu-Drag Show by Śląsk Przegięty The first-ever MDAG docu-drag show performed by Śląsk Przegięty, a queer collective from Katowice that organizes spaces and events for the LGBTQ+ community.
Intimacy in Coordination - Polish Context
Together with representatives from the film industry (intimacy coordinator, acting and casting representatives), we initiated a discussion about the evolution of intimacy on screen and behind the scenes based on Polish experiences.
Songs You Can't Easily Say Goodbye To
Bartek Chaciński, the culture editor of "Polityka", a music journalist, and a member of the Council of the Polish Language, led the audience through well-known musical pieces, unveiling histories and analyses we were unaware of.
Being a Pornfluencer
Owiaks Couple - Polish porn influencers, advocates for dialogues focused on self-discovery and partner understanding in relationships, creators of the original project "Owiaks Bedtime Stories for Adults," were guests of the 20th MDAG edition, breaking taboos and addressing endless questions post-screening.
The Power of Sisterhood
One of the most intimate discussions during the festival was held after the screening of this year's highly acclaimed and debated film “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood”. Alongside the engaged audience, writer Sylwia Chutnik, Iwona Skwarek from the duo Rebeka, and Dominika Olszyna-Kniaź, cultural studies scholar and journalist, discussed the contemporary development of female solidarity.
VR Exhibition: Reality Check
Together with the Dramatic Theatre, we invited the audience in Warsaw to experience virtual reality through the VR Exhibition: Reality Check. Using pressing contemporary topics as a starting point – mental health, climate change, racism, colonialism, and dialogue with tradition – we presented an exhibition of VR experiences that have received numerous awards at global festivals. These experiences were created by both Polish and international creators, and many of them were shown in Poland for the first time.
Exhibition Partners: National Film Board of Canada and vnLab Laboratory of Visual Narratives.
Thanks to our partnership with the Embassy of Canada, the exhibition was inaugurated by Her Excellency Catherine Godin, the Ambassador of Canada to Poland.
Safe Space MDAG
Screening room No. 6 - at this address, in the heart of the festival, the Warsaw Kinoteka (with the exception of one event in the upper foyer of Teatr Studio), a magical zone of freedom - Safe Space - was created for the first time in MDAG's history.
We established a secure haven - free from judgment and prejudice - for joyful and serious discussions, workshops, and meetings on all phenomena that shape our inner world.
In collaboration with our partner Wellbee, psychologists were stationed around the zone, offering therapeutic consultations or simply a platform to ask any questions, discuss emotions, and share experiences related to film screenings.
Main Partner: Wellbee
Partners: KPH, #sexedpl Foundation, UNAWEZA Foundation, Młode Głowy, It Girls (Sold Out Agency), Newsweek Psychology, Noizz.pl, Gazeta.pl, Radio 357
Music Events
Girl's Stories: Barbara Wrońska Concert and DJ SET by Masłowska + Szydłowska
Barbara Wrońska, a singer and composer who has been a prominent figure on the music scene for years, presented her original material from the award-winning album "Dom z Ognia" (House of Fire). We also heard her latest song from the newest album and a piece composed especially for the film "Girl's Stories."
Jakob Bro, Arve Henriksen & Joey Baron Trio
At the concert in Pardon, To Tu, we experienced music "abounding with ethereal and fluid grace," as Downbeat wrote about Jakob Bro's latest album. The brilliant Danish guitarist and composer, known for collaborations with Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Bley, and Chris Cheek, performed alongside Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen and legendary drummer Joey Baron (known for working with Carmen Mcrae, Lou Reed, Chet Baker, and Allen Ginsburg).
Gemma Dunleavy Concert
Gemma Dunleavy is an Irish singer whose pop songs are deeply rooted in the reality of Dublin. Her themes range from love, the working class, friendship, to growing up in a world filled with violence. She's also the protagonist of the film "Dublin. Music from North Circular" directed by Luke McManus, which was screened during the 20th MDAG.
Only Dance Matters on the Dance Floor: DJ Wika and DJ Kwazar at MDAG!
Cafe Kulturalna hosted the oldest DJ in Poland, the titular character from Agnieszka Zwiefka's film "Vika!" DJ Wika played right after the film's ceremonial premiere at the POLIN Museum. She was joined by DJ Kwazar, who also appeared in the film. It was an incredible intergenerational event where only dance matters on the dance floor!
Zvidky/Kudy Concert - Thoughts Halted
This event accompanied the premiere of the film "In the Rearview”, directed by Maciek Hamela. On the Plac Defilad stage, the forces of Lutosławski Quartet, djLenar, Ukrainian Artists' Choir, and director Maciek Hamela merged.
Zvidky/Kudy (meaning "From Where/To Where") are the routine questions asked at military checkpoints, encountered by people during evacuations from war-affected areas.
The entire program was accompanied by a metaphorical video collage prepared by Maćek Hamela, the director of the film "In the Rearview"
Thousands of Colors, One Love - Silent Disco
Classic to the festival, the vibrant silent disco took place at Kulturalna! We surrendered to the power of colors, perfectly fitting the diverse thematic threads showcased at the festival. The colors of the rainbow shone brightly, particularly during the "We're Here, We're Queer" section dedicated to LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide, proving that love is multicolored.
Activities in other festival cities
GDYNIA:
Educational meeting about dogs with Kamila Dembek, a pedagogue and dog therapist, after the film "My Pet and Me”.
"Fish Have a Voice!" Meeting with oceanographer and member of the European Marine Educators Association (EMSEA), Małgorzata Żywicka from the Gdynia Aquarium, after the film "Whale Nation”.
"Intimacy According to Katarzyna Figura", meeting with the actress after the film "Body Parts”.
Urban Projections Series. Meeting with Aneta Lehmann, an architecture and city researcher, interior architect, after the film "The Promise. Architect BV Doshi”.
"Greenland's Return to Roots", meeting with Scandivanist Agata Lubowicka after the film “Twice Colonized”.
"Having Good in the Heart and a Bit of Wild Porn in the Mind", meeting with Ewa Stusińska, author of the book "Miła robótka. Polskie świerszczyki, harlekiny i porno z satelity" after the film "Porn Revolution”.
WROCŁAW:
In Wrocław, there were 7 Q&A sessions with filmmakers and a series of accompanying events!
The Wrocław MDAG team prepared numerous special events for the audience. Films became inspirations for meetings and discussions, such as those involving volunteers from EKOSTRAŻA about relationships with animals ("My Pet and Me"), University of Wrocław staff about visions of a better world ("Breaking Social”), and about the mysteries of the human brain ("Scene of Thoughts"). There were also discussions with members of the Nomada Association about gender-based violence in Arab and non-Arab countries ("Under the Sky of Damascus"), as well as specialists in digital security ("Made to Measure").
Festival participants could also attend a lecture on Indian architecture and take part in workshops about body relationships.
The program also included a prologue to the European Night of Literature, during which Sylwia Chutnik read an excerpt from Carolina de Robertis' novel "Cantoras" before the screening of the film "Anhell69."
In the festival club Czuła Jest Noc in Wrocław, audiences could not only continue discussions about the films but also enjoy sets from well-known local DJs and the Cudowne Lata (Wonderful Years) concert. Annual bingo games and the ever-popular karaoke also took place.
KATOWICE:
At this year's Silesian edition of the 20th MDAG, 41 documentary films were shown in 60 screenings, with 57 at the Światowid Cinema, 2 at the Rialto Cinema, and 1 at the Kosmos Cinema. There were 20 special events accompanying the film screenings.
Statistically, the results and attendance of the fifth Silesian edition turned out to be the best since the festival's presence in Katowice began.
Meetings, lectures, workshops, and events engaging the local community were mostly realized in partnership with local institutions, cultural centers, academic entities, and social initiatives from the region.
POZNAŃ:
A total of 15 Q&A sessions and 5 events took place at the Muza Cinema!
An outdoor screening at Rynku Łazarskim in Poznań brought the festival to a new district of the city. The open-air audience watched last year's MDAG hit - "The Pawnshop" by Łukasz Kowalski.
A meeting with romanist Marta Sukiennicka and translator of "Bliskie" Agata Kozak. A discussion about Ernaux's work took place at our partner bookstore Bookowski in collaboration with Wydawnictwo Czarne.
As part of the festival, the traditional DKF Kamera was organized, focusing on Jane Campion's work. There was also a screening for seniors and a film therapy event centered around the film "Sweetling”.
BYDGOSZCZ:
In Bydgoszcz, there were 3 Q&A sessions with filmmakers (after the screenings of "Fantastic Matt Parey," "Vika!" and "Leon"), a debate after the screening of the film "We Will Not Fade Away" (directed by Alisa Kovalenko), and a meeting "Przybieżeli… O migracji i migrantach" (They Came Running... About Migration and Migrants) with Olena Babakova and Agnieszka Lichnerowicz (TOK FM).