• The Chilean films selected by DOK Leipzig are the feature film Green Desert (World Premiere), the animated short Petra and the Sun (German Premiere), and the documentary film project in development Fossil Matter, which is part of the DOK CoPro Market, that connects producers and documentary filmmakers seeking financing, as well as opening doors in the international industry.
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From October 27 to November 2, 2025, the 68th edition of DOK Leipzig will take place. It is one of Europe’s most important festivals dedicated to the documentary genre, welcoming both documentaries and animations from around the world. This unique combination of genres attracts more than 40,000 viewers to Leipzig each year, producing a very attractive convergence of audiences at the festival.
Chile has had a prominent and sustained presence at DOK Leipzig for several years. In 2025, the Chilean delegation will be made up of a group of 14 producers, five of whom are sponsored by the Ministry of Culture’s Support Program for Participation in International Markets, which is once again incorporating this market into the program after several years of absence. DOK Leipzig will once again be coordinated by Chiledoc, headed by Diego Pino Anguita, director attached to the sector brand.
In this regard, the Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, Carolina Arredondo, notes that «Our Ministry is proud to support Chile’s presence at DOK Leipzig, a key event for documentary filmmakers from around the world. The projects that make up the national delegation reflect the diversity and vitality of Chilean documentary filmmaking, and it is very significant to be able to support such a plurality of perspectives. Spaces like this are essential to continue promoting the internationalization of our cinema. We congratulate the delegation for representing the country with talent and commitment.»
In terms of projects, a dozen documentaries in different stages of development and formats are represented by their filmmakers at the DOK Leipzig market. «The diversity of languages and formats of the projects has always been a hallmark of Chilean production. This market allows us, like no other, to showcase that variety, highlighting different techniques and authorial perspectives, enabling us to reach different realities within the industry, and above all to connect with representatives from Germany,» explains Diego Pino.
World Premiere
Green Desert is a journey through the coastal mountain range, documenting ten years of environmental devastation caused by large expanses of pine monoculture plantations in south-central Chile, drought, and wildfires. Its director, Meliza Luna, points out that this documentary «goes back and forth in time, through archives of the ancient native forest, through the stories of the peasant women of my family. The film walks through the mountains, reminding us of the forest and those who have defended it and have been made to disappear. At the same time, it imagines other possible futures, moving towards the magic and regeneration of the landscape, invoking a radical tenderness of care for all forms of life.»
Green Desert, produced by Araucaria Cine and Vestigio Cine, will have its world premiere in the International Feature Film Competition at DOK Leipzig, which represents a very important milestone for the documentary, according to its producer Isabel Orellana, “since, in addition to being one of the most important documentary festivals in Europe, it positions auteur cinema with political perspectives.”
For Orellana, there is a sense of double happiness with this official selection, as «DOK Leipzig is a festival that has greatly supported Araucaria Cine’s films. In 2014, we presented Muerte Blanca, which won the Golden Dove Award for best animated documentary, and in 2017, they also selected Petit Frere. The festival’s audiences are very diverse and have a strong local following, which allows us to see how the film is received by a real audience, which has us very excited.»
Chilean animation
The Chilean short film Petra and the Sun, directed and produced by Malu Furche and Stefania Malacchini, is part of the International Animation Film Competition. It tells an unexpected love story that takes place amid a great thaw in the mountains of southern Chile. There, Petra (71) finds the perfectly preserved corpse of a mountaineer from the last century. Initially hesitant, she decides to take him home, where it all begins.
“We are honored to be part of DOK Leipzig this year. It is one of the most prestigious festivals, and it is always exciting to reach new audiences,” says Malu Furche. Stefania Malacchini adds, “It will be very nice to present Petra and the Sun there, see people’s reactions, and share with other filmmakers. DOK Leipzig is a great showcase and meeting point for the industry.”
Petra and the Sun had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. It will have its German premiere at Dok Leipzig, where it will be presented by Stefania Malacchini.
Discoveries at the end of the world
Directed by Tiziana Panizza, the project in development, Fossil Matter, films the extraction of a 130-million-year-old ichthyosaur from the southern ice fields, a discovery that could answer questions about the future. While scientists speculate about its extinction, the film articulates links with other objects and organic materials that are kept in museums in a region once called “the end of the world.”
Chilean Documentary Projects
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