DMZ국제다큐멘터리영화제

The slogan of the 17th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, ‘A Day We Dream Of,’ rings with quiet defiance against a world where progress feels distant, even illusory. In such times, the very wish for a livable day can feel like a luxury. Yet it is precisely this hope—fragile yet vital—that today’s documentary filmmakers extend to us, armed with courage, reflection, and unwavering determination.

The ten films in this year's International Competition are born from this spirit. They are helmed by directors who not only have something urgent to say about our world, but who also possess a profound commitment to listening. Humane, timely, and at times razor-sharp, their diverse cinematic voices bear witness to the realities of communities in Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and India. In their stories of discrimination, violence, and erasure, we hear the echo of our own global crises and feel the quiet longing for that one livable day.

These films offer no easy answers. Instead, they find their power in the particular: in the bonds of friendship and family, in the quiet intimacy of solidarity. It is here, in these moments of grace, that they clear a space for us to imagine the world anew. We invite you to listen closely. These are the voices of artists who think deeply, who see what is so often unseen, and who return it to us with startling clarity, profound empathy, and a bold, unwavering belief in the power of the imagination.​