Discover the expertly curated collection of the most remarkable films that made their debut on DAFilms in 2023.

This year’s finest selections at DAFilms span from 1976 through 2022, embracing a global tapestry from Croatia to Cameroon, and from Argentina to India. The collection showcases a range of filmmaking techniques, from cutting-edge digital surveillance footage to the classic artistry of 16mm film. Celebrated directors such as #Jean Rouch#, #John Smith#, #Helena Wittmann#, #Zeina Daccache#, #Avi Mograbi#, and #Laila Pakalniņa# are featured alongside emerging talents. These include Payal Kapadia with her acclaimed A Night of Knowing Nothing (recipient of the Doc Alliance Award 2022) and Emilia Mello’s No Kings (awarded the main prize at CPH:DOX in 2020).

The programme will be available until 1 January, 2024

DAFilms Best of 2023

• The Girl Chewing Gum – Dir. John Smith
• A Night of Knowing Nothing – Dir. Payal Kapadia
• Delphine’s Prayers – Dir. Rosine Mbakam
• Moi, un noir – Dir. Jean Rouch
• You Have No Idea How Much I Love You – Dir. Paweł Łoziński
• The Witches of the Orient – Dir. Julien Faraut
• Bird Island – Dir. Maya Kosa
• Self-Portrait – Dir. Joële Walinga
• There Is No Way Back Home – Dir. Yaela Gottlieb
• Homes – Dir. Laila Pakalniņa
• Blue Rose – Dir. Olya Korsun
• Homage to the Work of Phillip Henry Gosse – Dir. Pablo Weber
• Roof of Leaves – Dir. Anna Caroline Arndt
• El Father Plays Himself – Dir. Mo Scarpelli
• Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater – Dir. Gabe Klinger
• Drift – Dir. Helena Wittmann
• A Short Lesson in Cinema – Dir. Jean-Stéphane Bron
• No Kings – Dir. Emilia Mello
• Factory to the Workers – Dir. Srđan Kovačević
• One Image, Two Acts – Dir. Sanaz Sohrabi
• The Blue Inmates – Dir. Zeina Daccache
• The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation – Dir. Avi Mograbi
• With Love – Volume One 1987–1996 – Dir. Michael Pilz
• Just a Movement – Dir. Vincent Meessen
• Landscapes of Resistance – Dir. Marta Popivoda