Festival Opening and Opening Film
documentART is kicking off its festival program for the 32nd time and invites you to a week filled with excellent documentaries, feature films, and animated films from all over Europe, as well as exciting encounters, diversity, and dialogue.
The festival kicks off with the award-winning documentary “The Whisper of the Woods” (Le murmure des bois, 2025/2026) by Vincent Munier. Through poetic imagery, the film tells the story of three generations of a family in the Vosges Mountains, exploring the deep connection between humans and nature and the passing down of knowledge and memories. An extraordinary nature film about the silence of the forest, the power of observation, and the beauty of our endangered habitats. Awards: César 2026 – Best Documentary, Best Sound; Lumières 2026 – Best Original Score. Nominated for Best Documentary at the Zurich Film Festival.
Guest: Vincent Schmitt (born 1976 in Mulhouse) is a film editor and director. Since 2000, he has worked primarily in documentary film and has edited internationally acclaimed productions such as *Our Wilderness*, *Nomads of the Skies – The Secret of the Oceans* (*Oceans*), *The Snow Leopard*, and *The Whisper of the Forests*, which won the César Award for Best Documentary in 2026. He also creates his own documentary and experimental films.
dokumentART 2026 Competition – Discover European Short Films
From October 7 to 9, 2026, dokumentART will showcase the diversity of European short films in its competition. Look forward to 50 extraordinary documentaries, feature films, and animated films from 20 European countries—from Portugal to Finland, from France to Poland, and many other regions of Europe.
