ZagrebDox 2026: Nothing But the Best

The Masters of Dox Program, one of ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival's most prominent features, is once again gathering filmmakers who wield particular influence in the world of documentary cinema. These directors have been proven to redefine film as a medium, blurring the boundaries between documentary and fiction, reality and reflection, the personal and the universal.

At ZagrebDox's 22nd edition, audiences will immerse themselves in a selection of exceptional recent works by filmmakers whose filmographies have established them as genuine masters: creators who, instead of merely recording reality, shape it, question it, and rediscover it. Victor Kossakovsky’s new film Trillion continues the “trilogy of empathy” that he had commenced with Gunda. In a cinematic undertaking devoid of human speech, Kossakovsky reinterprets the myth of Sisyphus, crafting a meditative work that examines humanity’s relationship with nature and the meaning of life at a time when everything seems to be conditional. Previously presented at the Berlinale and IDFA, the film transcends documentation and becomes a sensual, hypnotic contemplation of life, resistance, and endurance. Also featured is Time to the Target, the latest film by Russian-Ukrainian director Vitaly Mansky, one of the most prominent contemporary documentary filmmakers. As Ukraine has fought for its independence throughout the past three years, Mansky documented daily life in his hometown of Lviv, whose citizens were confronted with a constant threat of missile attacks. As the mind behind more than thirty award-winning films and the founder of the Artdocfest festival, Mansky offers a precise and personal perspective on a reality marked by war.

Next up, Ross McElwee’s Remake is an intimate journey through time, memory, and the director’s relationship with his son Adrian. Composed of decades of footage and archival material, the film has been shown at festivals such as Venice, IDFA, and Doclisboa, where it was recognized as a powerful reflection on loss and the impossibility of fully understanding life. Through archival images and fragments of domestic life, McElwee constructs a layered meditation on absence and the enduring role of the moving image as its witness. In Heartbeat, filmmakers Jay Rosenblatt and Stephanie Rapp turn the camera inward, revisiting two decades of footage. Screened at major festivals including IDFA and DC/DOX, the film captures raw moments of genuine intimacy, love, and uncertainty as the couple confronts the question of parenthood: a deeply personal subject that catalyzes broader reflections on life and choice. The distinctive cinematic language of one of contemporary cinema’s most sophisticated auteurs, Tsai Ming-liang, can be found in Back Home, a meditative work screened at festivals such as Venice, the New York Film Festival, and the Viennale. In his characteristically unhurried rhythm, Tsai constructs a space between image and emotion, guiding viewers through landscapes of absence, nature, and memory. The film unfolds as a contemplative journey that observes the world instead of explaining it, leaving ample space for silence, emptiness, and reflection.

Also featured is Laguna by Šarūnas Bartas, a powerful and intimate exploration of loss and the relationship between humanity and nature. The film premiered in the Giornate degli Autori section at the Venice Film Festival. Comprised of landscapes that mirror the emotional states of its characters, the film becomes a space of quiet introspection, where memory, mourning, and renewal intertwine in a singular cinematic flow. Of course, no ZagrebDox would be complete without a new film by the legendary Werner Herzog. His latest work, Ghost Elephants, is a quintessential Herzogian exploration of human obsession, now found in remote regions of Africa home to extraordinary elephant herds. The film premiered six months ago at the Venice Film Festival.

The International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox will take place at Kaptol Boutique Cinema from April 19 to 26, 2026. ZagrebDox is supported by the City of Zagreb, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild, and the Zagreb Tourist Board. For the latest news and information, visit http://zagrebdox.net/ and follow the festival on social media.