Rebellious and devoted outsiders take the stage. Joakim from Pet Farm is determined to keep breeding his beloved animals at all costs, facing resistance from the state and officials, while activist Tiberiu from Tooth and Nail attempts to combat illegal logging that continues unchecked in Romania’s corrupt forestry administration. Their radical environmental actions and controversial love for animals spark interest, but may also provoke bewilderment or objection. Both titles will be screened in the International Documentary Competition at the 65th Krakow Film Festival.
“We often want to see whistleblowers or activists as heroes plucked straight from romantic imagination – moral paragons, preferably physically flawless as well – yet the documentaries we’ve selected cut across idealised images and cultural expectations. In Pet Farm, the boundary between selfless love for animals and their narcissistic exploitation is so blurred that it complicates any straightforward assessment of the protagonist. The truth, if it even exists at all, reveals itself in shades of grey. Meanwhile, the Romanian film momentarily shakes us from our comfort to question the limits of social engagement and individual political tolerance: can we identify with and support someone’s activism in one cause when, in others, we would likely find ourselves on opposite sides of the barricade?” comments section curator Marcin Stachowicz.
Two films invited to the International Documentary Competition tell stories of complicated relationships between humans and the natural world. The protagonist of Pet Farm by Finn Walther and Martin Walther is chasing his dream of domesticating foxes. On the other hand, humans are taking away their habitats piece by piece, as perfectly depicted in the documentary Tooth and Nail by Mihai Dragolea and Radu Mocanu.
Fauna
Living in the Norwegian wilderness, the reclusive Joakim has dreamt of breeding foxes since childhood. Enamoured with these four-legged predators, he has dedicated his life to them, essentially cutting them off from their natural environment. Kept in special enclosures, the animals are allowed into their owner’s home and treated as house pets. Although one could truly be moved by the care and tenderness with which the introverted protagonist of Pet Farm looks after his animals, his actions raise significant ethical questions. Norwegian law takes a similar view, prohibiting the breeding of fur animals.
The creators of the documentary accompany the protagonist in his daily life with foxes as well as in his battle against officials demanding the closure of the titular farm. Joakim refuses to surrender, fights in his own way to save his dream fox enclave.
Flora
Tiberiu battles with tremendous determination against Romania’s corrupt forestry administration, which turns a blind eye to illegal logging in the European Union’s largest primeval forest. The devastation claims not only ancient trees but also disoriented foxes and starving bears. Through his regular social media activity, the protagonist of this documentary tries to draw the attention of national and European authorities to this growing yet trivialised issue. His activities are meticulously recorded by directors Mihai Dragolea and Radu Mocanu. The activist’s coverage is also followed by his dangerous opponents from the criminal underworld.
The power of Tooth and Nail lies not only in the filmmakers’ steadfast commitment to documenting an uncompromising protagonist and his actions but primarily in its raw immediacy, including footage of brutal acts of violence against all three of the film’s creators.
The International Documentary Competition will feature 15 of the latest films from around the world competing for the Golden and Silver Horns.
Passes for the 65th Krakow Film Festival are now on sale!
The Krakow Film Festival is on the exclusive list of film events qualifying for the Academy Awards® in short film categories (fiction, animation, documentary) and feature-length documentary, the European Film Awards in the same categories, and serves as a qualifying event for the BAFTA Awards.
The Krakow Film Festival is organised with financial support from the City of Krakow, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Polish Film Institute, and the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme. The Polish Filmmakers Association serves as co-organiser.
The 65th Krakow Film Festival will be held from 25 May to 1 June 2025, and online on KFF VOD from 30 May to 15 June.