DOKYU I DOCUS
Bridging the boundaries between historical archiving and genre-bending cinema, the docu selections for the 12th Bakunawa Fest redefine non-fiction storytelling through a fantastic lens. Shifting away from standard historical retellings, this year's lineup delves deep into cultural memory, personal mythologies, and ecological mysteries. From raw, intimate portraits of community resilience to investigative deep-dives into local folklore, these works challenge conventional documentary forms, capturing social realities while remaining rooted in the uncanny, and the transformative.
Bocuk: Kadim Bir Ritüel (Bocuk: An Ancient Ritual) by BuÄŸra Mert Alkayalar (2025) Turkey 20min
Docu, Folkloric I Online Southeast Asian Premiere
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"Bocuk" traces the remnants of a Balkan-Turkic belief said to date back to the Middle Ages, still alive in a remote village of Thrace. This docudrama explores the contemporary meaning of an ancient winter ritual and documents the local narratives surrounding it. Blending fear with tradition, the film invites viewers to discover the extraordinary Night of Bocuk, a practice still observed across generations in Turkey.
Cosmografias (Cosmographies) by Juan Francisco Salazar
(2025) Chile 1min 33 min
Documentary, Indigenous I Southeast Asian Premiere
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ICosmographies is a hybrid film that draws from modes of speculative fiction, observational and poetic documentary, activism, and Indigiqueer approaches.
Kintohpatatin (Justice) – Chéng èª (Honesty) by Christian Hui, Andrea Baedak (2025)
USA 6min
Documentary, Experimental I Online International Premiere
“Kintohpatatin (Justice) - Chéng èª (Honesty)” is a collaborative Indigenous-settler co-created short film borne out of friendship, respect, understanding, and trust. Through juxtaposing stunning natural and experimental split-screen visuals, auto-biographical haikus and reflections on Indigenous natural law, principles of honesty and justice are explored amidst the realities that impact our lives as Indigenous and migrant peoples on Turtle Island. Viewers are invited to examine their stance on past, current and future Indigenous-settler relationality.
Sunrise Xuejian (日出雪見)
by Chin-Fa Chen (2025)
Taiwan 11:38min
Indigenous, Documentary I Online International Premiere
Set in the mountains of Xuejian, Taiwan, the film follows An-Liang, a park ranger from the Atayal people, as he reflects on his father’s legacy while welcoming each sunrise. For three generations, his family has served as guardians of the forest, forging a deep bond with the land. Bringing his young son along the same paths once walked with his father, An-Liang bridges past and present, revealing the continuity of Atayal tradition and the rich ecological landscape of Xuejian. Through this intimate journey, the film becomes a quiet meditation on inheritance, coexistence, and the enduring dialogue between humans and nature.