From the Congo to Kashmir: French (Co-)Productions at Doxumentale

A glance at the production credits in this year’s Doxumentale program reveals a clear pattern: France appears time and time again, becoming a reliable partner. Ten documentaries on the lineup feature French backing, built on collaborations with filmmakers from Morocco, the Congo, India, Kosovo, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and beyond.

The thematic scope of these co-productions is remarkable. It ranges from the world premiere of Women of Sin—in which Noufissa Charai follows Moroccan activist Karima Nadir in her fight against a law that criminalizes sex outside of marriage—to Enough is Enough, where Elisé Sawasawa documents the fall of Goma in January 2025 from the inside, capturing the reality of a generation that refuses to disappear. History and memory take center stage in Ashes and The Beauty of the Donkey, while Fantastique, A Little Gray Wolf Will Come, and We Have to Survive each ask in their own way what it costs to maintain one's stance in a changing world. Meanwhile, The Mountain Won't Move, I, Poppy, and The Blind Couple from Mali follow individuals who are defending their place in the world.

The fact that the French Film Week Berlin (Französische Filmwoche Berlin) is sponsoring Women of Sin this year highlights a connection that shapes the entire selection: France’s documentary film funding reaches far—from Conakry to Greenland, from a Kosovar mountain village to the parliament in Rabat.

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French Film Week – In Berlin and many German cities

November 19–25, 2026