Despite Omicron, the Biarritz international documentary festival maintains its 2022 edition and “chooses face-to-face”

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“We are not immune, but we hope to do the best“, summarized Anne Georget. This fourth edition is back in January, in”its natural biotope“and will honor the Benelux countries after a 2021 vintage postponed several times due to the Covid-19 crisis and which was finally held in June.

Unlike a still postponed Angoulême comic strip festival, the Fipadoc “chooses face-to-face“, explains its president. The facilities”very large“from Biarritz and the”low risk of spread“that the cinema presents,”where we sit, without speaking, with a mask“, persuaded the team to keep the meeting.

More than 150 documentary films will be screened over six days and the professional days will be “hybrids“, between presence in Biarritz and guests abroad, in virtual. Here again, the Fipadoc wanted to free itself from videoconferences,”who have their limits“.”There are big demands from the professional world, which never works as well as when festivals allow people to meet people.“, explains Anne Georget.

The selection, unveiled Thursday, January 6, is divided into four major prizes: international, national competitions, music films and impact (focused on environmental and social issues). It will highlight several films devoted to press freedom or depicting migration routes. Movies Writing with fire the Indians Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, winner at the Sundance festival, and Shadow games Dutch Eefje Blankevoort and Els Van Driel will be part of the Impact selection.

The animated documentary Flee, by Danish director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, on the life of an Oscar nominated Afghan who had to flee his country in the late 1980s, could create a sensation, as could the Marie-José will be waiting for you at 4 p.m. by Frenchman Camille Ponsin.

The festival will also give carte blanche to the Franco-German channel Arte, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next May.


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