Going through recovery means to be more resilient than before. And such a transformation is experienced by the protagonists of this year’s films, which, in accordance with the festival theme, build their stories on a change for the better. Thanks to the realization and especially acceptance of their own fragility, the characters become stronger and resist the pitfalls created by others as well as themselves. The dominant narrative about stability, which is often just a chimera, thus becomes a challenge they must recognize and defeat in the stories.

Dear Mezipatra visitors,
I have been working at the festival for 9 years, and in that time, I have experienced moments of great joy, amazing success, great failures, and heart-breaking moments. To organize a festival that has a great reputation both here and abroad, but which has also been under-financed for a long time, is a big sacrifice for everybody participating. But we all make that sacrifice with joy and with a feeling of fulfilment, because we constantly keep in mind all of you who fill our cinemas every year and create an absolutely unique community. This is why I now feel the need to share this moment with you, as it means an unprecedented challenge for us.