Unveiling Dutch CORE’s Docs for Sale 2024 Line-Up
This year at IDFA’s Docs for Sale, Dutch CORE presents a dynamic slate of documentaries that tackle pressing social issues, personal journeys, and groundbreaking stories. From explorations of self-identity and human connection to investigations into the power and limitations of modern-day journalism, these documentaries offer fresh perspectives on both timeless and contemporary themes. Here’s an inside look at the titles we’re showcasing this year:
This year, Faas, Fano, Jeroen, Finley, and Eliott are going to camp for the first time: a summer camp for queer youth navigating complex feelings. Alongside 65 other young people, they will spend five transformative days participating in workshops designed to foster self-love. Surrounded by others with shared experiences, the campers explore the need for connection, learning more about each other—and themselves—than they could have anticipated.
In an era where the boundaries of creative expression are increasingly questioned, filmmaker Karin Junger examines the role of identity in art. Following her own experience with “cancel culture” in 2017, Junger delves into how race, gender, and ideology intersect with freedom of expression, exploring the impact of this on artists and society.
Backlight: You can’t Kill the Story
With rising threats to journalists worldwide, Backlight examines the resilience needed to continue reporting. French journalist Laurent Richard, founder of Forbidden Stories, shares how journalists globally collaborate to protect information and ensure stories live on—even when the reporter’s life is at risk.
Artist Judith de Leeuw (JDL) was followed over a year as she paints a 30-meter mural in Taranto, Italy. Known for addressing social themes, JDL finds this piece turning personal when she experiences the loss of her father. Her work, rooted in social justice, becomes a tribute to both public and private resilience.
As eels near extinction, scientists and researchers race to understand their mysterious reproductive cycle. Hidden Dance of Eels follows an expedition to the Sargasso Sea and groundbreaking lab experiments in the Netherlands, questioning if humanity's intervention can preserve this enigmatic species—or if we risk further damage.
This introspective documentary explores Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) through the experiences of Amber, Sian, and Dušan, whose lives are shaped by an overwhelming compulsion to daydream. The film blends personal stories with raw, intimate scenes, capturing their journeys toward reclaiming their lives from a world of fantasy.
In 2013, a group of friends set sail from the Netherlands to Norway to see the Northern Lights. When a storm fractures the group, only three continue—never to return. Ten years later, Warnow reconstructs this journey, revisiting the choices, friendships, and consequences of this ill-fated adventure.
Winner PRIX EUROPA 2024
At the International Butler Academy in South Limburg, students from all over the world are immersed in the traditional craft of butlering. The Butlers explores what drives individuals to pursue this rare, altruistic profession in a highly individualized society.
A Good Death examines the deeply personal and complex issue of euthanasia in the Netherlands, the first country to legalize it. Through moving stories, the film navigates ethical questions surrounding end-of-life choices, capturing both individuals seeking control and the doctors guiding them through these decisions.
When journalist Huib Modderkolk uncovers a missing intelligence agent after a secret mission in Iran, he’s led into a shadowy world of digital warfare and espionage. This geopolitical detective series explores the unseen world of hybrid warfare, where digital threats challenge the very foundations of modern democracy