Lightdox at CPH:DOX 2023

Celebrating two World Premieres

We are so excited to be in Copenhagen for CPH:DOX this year and to celebrate two World Premieres – from the dark reality of modern Belarus in the powerful and revealing  MOTHERLAND by Aleksander  Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka, to the thrilling roller-coaster ride THE OTHER PROFILE that takes French director Armel Hostiou to Congo’s vast capital Kinshasa in search of his double — both part of the DOX:AWARD competition. 

As young Nikita apprehensively enters his military conscription, and Svetlana travels the country looking for justice for her dead son, activists rage in the street against state-led violence rooted in dedovshchina, the cruel abuse that turns boys into soldiers and is the very mechanism of fear and violence Belarus uses to control its populace.

“We are thrilled to renew collaboration with producers from Sisyfos Film and Folk Film on this timely, urgent, and strong film. We have been following the project since 2021, and are proud of the amazing work that Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka did to witness the mechanisms of state violence and torture in order to break young generations not only in Belarus but in all post-Soviet countries. MOTHERLAND is simultaneously an eye-opening and a highly emotional film. As we always stand for important stories, all our team at Lightdox feel strongly engaged in defending this work on the international scene,” comments co-founder and CEO Anna Berthollet.

One day, French filmmaker Armel Hostiou discovers that he has a second Facebook profile: a fake Armel who has real photos of him and many female friends, all of whom live in Kinshasa. Fake Armel invites them to audition for his next film, which is supposedly set in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Faced with the impossibility of closing this account, the filmmaker decides to go looking for his double.

“THE OTHER PROFILE is one of the most singular films we discovered this year, and it had to be one of the few we will be curating in 2023. Armel Hostiou pushes the boundaries of the documentary genre in a unique way, mixing the codes of a thriller, investigation, tragedy, and irresistible comedy. But above all, the filmmaker touches upon some significant current issues such as identity, the impact of social media on our lives, and post-colonialism. Watching THE OTHER PROFILE is a roller-coaster experience, and we are convinced it’s heading towards becoming one of the most acclaimed titles of the year, both by the industry and the audience” 

And what a better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than being transported to the unique atmosphere of Dublin through the music, stories and stunning images of Luke McManus’s award-winning doc NORTH CIRCULAR, followed by a musical performance by Annie Hughes, part of CPH:DOX’s Sound & Vision strand. 

We’re so proud to bring these diverse and powerful titles to CPH:DOX and beyond.

See you in Copenhagen!