CPH:DOX 2024 Opens with Powerful Documentary ‘Mariinka’

The 23rd edition of the CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, will commence on March 11 and run until March 22, 2024. It will open with the world premiere of the documentary Mariinka, directed by Belgian filmmaker Pieter-Jan De Pue. Known for his previous work, The Land of the Enlightened, De Pue has dedicated nine years to this film, which is shot on 16mm film and set to feature in the festival’s main competition, DOX:AWARD.

The documentary explores the lives of young Ukrainians shaped by over a decade of conflict in the Donbas region. According to the film’s synopsis, Mariinka begins long before the recent full-scale invasion, presenting a narrative that intertwines personal stories with the broader implications of war. Viewers will meet a promising boxing talent who transitions to a military paramedic, a girl smuggling goods across the frontline to survive, and two brothers who find themselves on opposing sides of the conflict, while their youngest sibling finds safety far away with a foster family in the United States.

Through letters, video calls, and silent meetings, the film reveals complex themes of belonging, national loyalty, and the deep fractures created by political turmoil. De Pue’s commitment to capturing these narratives has been recognized by industry leaders.

Niklas Engstrøm, artistic director of CPH:DOX, emphasized the importance of Mariinka in contemporary discourse. He stated, “This film insists on our attention at a time when attention itself has become a scarce resource. Pieter-Jan de Pue has spent nearly a decade on this story, not chasing the news cycle, but listening to lives shaped by a war that began long before it filled our headlines.”

Engstrøm further articulated the film’s significance, describing it as a remarkable cinematic achievement that transcends simplification, presenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a lived reality filled with complex human experiences. This documentary, shaped through European co-production, stands as a testament to the power of documentary cinema in confronting urgent and nuanced realities.

The production of Mariinka involved multiple collaborators, including Savage Film, Beetz Brothers Film Production, and ZDF, among others. Engstrøm noted that the film serves to remind audiences why documentary cinema is essential: “It does not provide easy answers but confronts us with the complex human realities behind events often reduced to headlines.”

As CPH:DOX prepares to showcase this profound work, the festival continues to highlight the critical role of documentary films in fostering understanding of global issues and personal stories that resonate on a human level.