POLISH ANIMATIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AT DOK LEIPZIG
Two Polish animated films have been selected for the International Competition for Animated Films at this year’s International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film (DOK Leipzig), which will take place from 27 October to 2 November 2025. DOK Leipzig is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious events dedicated to documentary and animated cinema.
The animation competition in Leipzig showcases productions from around the globe that explore new narrative forms and visual expressions. Filmmakers experiment with line, color, movement, and light to create original visions of both external and internal realities. Among this year’s contenders are two Polish titles.
The first, “Bar Croquette Freestyle” directed by Maria Dakszewicz, will have its international premiere at the festival. The film tells the story of a woman from a small provincial town who escapes into her imagination, immersing herself in a vivid, Bollywood-inspired world where she becomes the heroine of a passionate love story. The contrast between fantasy and everyday life reveals themes of longing, loneliness, and the desire to break free. Dakszewicz’s animation stands out for its distinctive visual style – blending clay animation with ink drawings in an aesthetic full of humor, emotion, and melancholy.
The second Polish title, “Four Percent” directed by Monika Masłoń, a Polish-German co-production, will celebrate its world premiere in Leipzig. The artist explores the themes of physicality, emotion, and intimacy in the realm of virtual reality. The film follows avatars navigating VR spaces where the boundaries between real and digital worlds blur, and notions of touch, connection, and closeness take on new meanings. With poetic sensitivity and subtle humor, Masłoń examines whether virtual contact can replace physical presence and how technology shapes the human experience of love.
The full list of animated films selected for the International Competition for Animated Films is available on the official DOK Leipzig website.