POLISH PRODUCTIONS WIN THREE AWARDS AT DOK LEIPZIG
Three awards for Polish productions at the 69th DOK Leipzig. Andrei Kutsila’s “Letters from the Silenced Country” won the Golden Dove for Best Feature-Length Documentary in the International Competition Documentary Film, as well as the MDR Film Prize. Meanwhile, Kamila Serwicka’s documentary “Blossoming” received the Prize of the Interreligious Jury. The awards were presented on October 31 at DOK Leipzig, one of the world’s leading festivals dedicated to documentary and animated cinema.
The top honour in the International Competition Documentary Film went to “Letters from the Silenced Country”, a Polish-Lithuanian-German co-production directed by Andrei Kutsila. The Golden Dove, sponsored by German public broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), comes with a cash prize of €10,000.
“Letters from the Silenced Country” is a multifaceted portrait of contemporary Belarus, told through the experiences of people affected by political repression, imprisonment and forced exile. Kutsila weaves together the stories of individuals whose lives have been shaped by the violence of an authoritarian regime, drawing on personal correspondence, testimonies, archival footage and animation based on drawings created in prison. These intimate accounts become a powerful record of a reality that remains largely inaccessible to the outside world.
In its statement, the Golden Dove jury praised the filmmaker’s determination and cinematic clarity in bringing visibility to people whose stories the authorities have sought to erase from public consciousness. By interweaving the experiences of men and women who express themselves through words, images and acts of resistance, the film transforms personal testimony into an act of defiance.
But this was not the documentary’s only success. “Letters from the Silenced Country” also received the MDR Film Prize, an award recognising outstanding documentary filmmaking from Eastern Europe. The jury praised the film’s ability to illuminate the fate of an entire nation through individual stories, highlighting its rich cinematic language and the way Kutsila connects the realities of political persecution with universal themes of freedom, separation, love and human connection.
Kamila Serwicka also received recognition for her feature-length documentary “Blossoming”, which was awarded the Prize of the Interreligious Jury at DOK Leipzig.
In its statement, the jury explained its decision:
“For its courageous and deeply humane portrayal of a family living with the consequences of abuse and addiction. With remarkable intimacy and cinematic sensitivity, Kamila Serwicka follows five women across three generations as they break the silence and reclaim their voices, dignity, and freedom. The film reveals how vulnerability and lived spirituality can open paths towards forgiveness and renewed hope.”
The 69th edition of DOK Leipzig took place from October 26 to November 1, 2026. This year’s programme featured 217 films and XR works, including eight Polish productions, which we have previously covered in this post.
More information about the award-winning films is available here.