„Imperial ambitions must be categorically and forever left in the past. Aggressors and criminals must be stopped and punished at a very early stage. Wars should not start. We need a new international mechanism to nip them in the bud“, said the Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk during the official opening ceremony of Sofia docuMENTAL 2025. The sixth edition of the International Documentary Film Festival, with a focus on human rights, is held between September 25 and October 5, 2025 under the motto “Natural Intelligence Strikes Back“.
The festival will present nearly 30 premiere films for Bulgaria, including winners of the most prestigious international awards. The opening film “Wild“ by Ukrainian director Dmytro Khreshko is a sonic, meditative odyssey, told through the wounded landscapes of Ukraine – a harsh but extremely captivating portrait of the destruction beyond the battle line.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria expressed his gratitude that for years Ukraine has been supported and new bridges of friendship and understanding have been built, as well as the atmosphere of trust and interconnectedness between Bulgaria and Ukraine has been strengthened.
„After the start of the full-scale Russian aggression, Ukrainian cinema has been actively participating in the life of all of Ukraine and the entire Ukrainian society. Over the past 3.5 years, dozens of contemporary Ukrainian documentaries have been broadcast in Bulgaria about the causes of Russian aggression, the causes of the war, and the consequences of the sense of impunity that prevails among Russians in modern Russia. The Sofia docuMENTAL 2025 festival has a great contribution to this", she added.
From a moral point of view, when it comes to war, saving human lives, society is always faced with a choice of who to help first – women and children, pensioners and people with health problems, injured children, a dog crying for its deceased owner. “The answer – a person as a human being should not make such choices in the modern world“, Ilashchuk is categorical.
The film &ndquo;Wild“ tells and shows the other side of the horrific reality of Ukraine – the suffering of nature from Russian aggression. Not only the flora and fauna of Ukraine are affected. The ecological ecosystem of all of Europe and the entire planet is affected. “Because of the modern barbarity of a regime, a country that decided that everything is allowed to it. The power of nature today is in renewal. The power of humanity lies in wisdom, unity and helping. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Bulgaria for the comprehensive support of Ukraine to all our friends for the assistance provided in various spheres and in various forms. Only together and united can we overcome risks and threats and restore peace to Ukraine, Europe and the world“, concluded the Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria.
The films in this year's selection confront the fragility of democracy with clarity and courage, give a platform for women acting beyond imposed roles, trace personal revolutions starting from the most unexpected circumstances. Stories that revisit the past in order to make sense of the present. Portraits that do not fit into a template. Glimpses into nature, technology and everything in between.
Here's what to expect in the next 10 days on the Sofia documentary scene as part of Sofia docuMENTAL.