Our documentary line-up features a young European student swept into Colombia’s guerrilla war, to Ecuadorian villagers resisting mining giants, to Congolese survivors putting the world on trial, to Palestinian youth chasing freedom on surfboards.
These stories remind us that peace is rarely straightforward, and often emerges from the most unexpected places.
Tanja: Up in Arms
The unlikely story of a young European student who became the public face of Colombia’s FARC
What led Tanja Nijmeijer - once a foreign exchange student from the Netherlands - to join, and later represent, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group in the jungles of Colombia? Tanya: Up in Arms explores how an outsider was drawn into one of the world’s longest-running conflicts, and the personal cost of choosing ideology over home.
Why watch:
- Winner of top festival awards in Leipzig and beyond
- A rare inside look at FARC via the eyes of a non-Colombian woman
- Explores the pull of ideology and the dangers of radicalisation
“What makes a nice, young middle-class Dutch woman want to join a revolutionary struggle 1000s of miles from home? That is one of the questions asked in Marcel Mettelsiefen’s probing new feature documentary.” - Geoffrey Macnab, Business Doc Europe
This Stolen Country of Mine
Ecuador’s fight for land, water and sovereignty
As Chinese mining corporations carve into ancestral territory, Indigenous leaders in Ecuador take on global powers to protect their environment and culture.
Why watch:
- Fact award, CPH:DOX and Best Doc winner at Human Rights FF Berlin
- Insight into debates on indigenous land rights and resource extraction
"An urgent doc on the battle between corrupt politicians and eco-warriors in Ecuador.” - Screendaily
The Congo Tribunal
Justice staged for the world’s most overlooked war
Swiss director Milo Rau assembles victims, perpetrators, and witnesses in a theatrical tribunal to investigate the bloody conflict in Congo — exposing how natural resource exploitation fuels violence and global complicity.
Why watch:
- Links conflict to global supply chains: phones, batteries, minerals
- A unique blend of documentary and staged tribunal, praised worldwide
- Forces audiences to question how “our” consumer peace rests on hidden wars
“The most ambitious piece of political theatre ever staged.” - The Guardian
Gaza Surf Club
Freedom found in the waves of Gaza.
In a place often described as “the world’s largest open-air prison,” a new generation finds escape and joy through surfing, building peace one wave at a time.
Why watch:
- Festival favourite from Toronto to SXSW
- Uplifting story with beautiful visuals of resilience and youth culture
“An inspiring, warmhearted look at a group of resilient spirits who find a way to indulge their passion for surfing while living in the Gaza Strip, one of the world’s most battle-scarred locales.” - Variety magazine
Peace Day: 21 September 2025
The International Day of Peace on 21 September 2025 invites us to rethink what peace really means: not just the absence of war, but the difficult, everyday struggles for justice, freedom, and human dignity.
