Documentary films will be showcased in Romania starting June 5, at the 11th edition of KineDok

KineDok, the European program that promotes creative documentaries in alternative venues, returns across the country with a new selection of films and a new visual identity, designed by Daniel Bratosin.

Events

The 11th edition unfolds until April 2026 in museums, libraries, high schools, gardens, creative hubs or bookstores, but also in a former mine. The screenings are organised by over 20 local partners, coordinated by the national organiser, One World Romania Association.

The selection comprises a total of 17 films and 2 immersive VR experiences. In addition to 10 recent documentaries from the participating countries – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Romania – a selection of short heritage films curated by researcher Adina Brădeanu, an archive feature from the Czech Republic and a Danish Focus are also available to local partners. The Romanian documentaries selected this year are Alice On & Off, by Isabela Tent, and Imaginary Youth, by Ruxandra Gubernat.

Opening screenings – Bucharest, Galați, Jiu Valley

The opening of the new edition takes place in Bucharest, Galați and Jiu Valley with screenings of the documentary “The Other One”, directed by Marie-Magdalena Kochová, which explores the long-neglected issue of healthy siblings in families caring for children with special needs. An intimate film that gives a voice to everyone who has ever felt like “the other child”.

The screening in Bucharest takes place on June 5, starting from 6:30 PM, at the “Golescu Grant Manor” Center for Recreation and Personal Development (64 Țibleș Alley), part of DGASPC Sector 6 (the General Directorate for Social Care and Child Protection). After the screening, the audience will discuss with Silvia Ciubotaru, psychologist and psychotherapist with extensive experience in educational and cultural projects for youth.

KineDok’s collaboration with DGASPC Sector 6 began following the “How to Set Up a Screening Venue” event organised during the One World Romania 18 festival, which was also attended by representatives of the institution. KineDok thus continues its efforts to reach new audiences, in neighborhoods without cinemas, and to integrate documentary film into the cultural program of public institutions.

In Galați, the screening will also take place on June 5, from 6:00 PM, at the Visual Arts Museum (3 Tecuci Street), one of KineDok Romania's long-standing local partners.

UrbanLab Valea Jiului Association, which joined the program last year, will screen “The Other One” on June 7, from 7:00 PM, at the Petrila Mine.

Admission is free of charge for all screenings. The film will be subtitled in Romanian. The speakers for the discussions in Galați and Petrila Mine will be announced soon on KineDok’s social media channels.

About “The Other One” – Czech Republic, Slovakia, 2024, 88 min.

Eighteen-year-old Johana wants to leave her hometown. She wants to graduate from high school and go to university. However, her final year of school is more challenging for her than for her classmates. She plays an irreplaceable role in her family – helping to take care of her younger sister, who has a disability. Despite all the love, she has to break free from everyone‘s expectations, find her own space, and escape her sister's shadow. Johana is what is known as a glass child, unintentionally overlooked by her overburdened parents and the rest of the world. Can she overcome her doubts and feelings of guilt and dare to put herself first?

The documentary had its world premiere at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

The director described her approach as follows: “We’ve heard many stories about children with disabilities and their parents. But the parents are not the only ones who are strongly affected by their children’s special needs. Often there are also siblings, brothers and sisters, forced by circumstances to grow up too fast to help with a challenging family situation. That's why I chose Johana as my protagonist and decided to make a film that conveys the perspective of these siblings, the glass children, the other ones. Her story is also my story and the story of millions of other people around the world living in a similar situation.”

The film's protagonist, Johana, hopes that the film will help other young people like her make themselves heard and understood: “I wanted other siblings to see the film and know that they are not alone in this and that there are families like theirs. And just as I found someone who understands in director Marie-Magdalena Kochová, I would like the other siblings to find in me someone who understands them too.”