With its recently launched video-on-demand channel, Moving Docs Home Cinema now gives viewers around the world the opportunity to get instant access to a selection of critically acclaimed documentaries that are hard to find otherwise.
Moving Docs is the very first pan-European distribution network for documentaries, powered by 20 screening partners across Europe, ARTE Europe, the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, and outreach strategists Film & Campaign. It is managed by the European Documentary Network and supported by Creative Europe. Combining event cinema with innovative online promotion, Moving Docs, in its fourth year running, enables a selection of the best European documentaries to cross borders and reach new audiences. Last year alone, 25 documentaries from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK were screened in 18 European countries, with subtitles in 15 languages, reaching an audience of more than 5 million. The Moving Docs Home Cinema is now looking to expand the network’s reach through an own-branded video-on-demand offer.
These are films with an impact that make audiences see the world differently. Driven by a shared belief in the value of documentaries and the importance of a diverse film culture within Europe, Moving Docs Home Cinema offers documentaries from all corners of Europe and are available in as many as 11 different languages (English, French, German, Italian, Greek, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Norwegian, Macedonian and Slovenian).
Its most recent acquisition is Golden Dawn Girls (2017), in which Norwegian filmmaker Håvard Bustnes examines the rise of the Greek far-right nationalist party “Golden Dawn”. When the key male members of the political party are imprisoned, accused of carrying out organised criminal activity, the film follows their daughters, wives and mothers as they step up to the task of leading the party through the upcoming elections. The film is accompanied by an educational guide (currently available in English, Spanish, Greek, Norwegian and Polish) aimed to generate debate, critical thought and discussion in classrooms about the rise of the extreme right in Europe.
Other highlights include Dolphin Man (2017) by Greek filmmaker Lefteris Charitos, which tells the extraordinary story of free-diver Jacques Mayol, whose life became the inspiration of Luc Besson’s cult movie The Big Blue. Narrated by Jean-Marc Barr, the film draws us into Mayol’s world, capturing his compelling journey, while immersing viewers into the transformative experience of free-diving.
Cecilie Bolvinkel, Moving Docs programme manager at the European Documentary Network said: “Over the last few years, Moving Docs has already build up a strong track record in bringing down borders and supporting the joint release of high-profile documentaries across Europe. We’re excited to be taking this one step further now by expanding our online channel. I’d invite all lovers of documentaries to take a look at the Moving Docs Home Cinema.”
