2007 is a special year for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). It marks the 20th anniversary of the festival, which, together with the FORUM, Docs for Sale and the Jan Vrijman Fund, is now one of the most influential documentary institutes in the world.

Over the course of ten days, more than 250 international documentaries are screened for a huge number of film lovers and professionals. For filmmakers, IDFA is the perfect place to screen their films to enthusiastic audiences in sold out cinemas. The festival is also an exciting meeting place for directors, producers, buyers, financiers and audiences alike.

IDFA is unique for its largely international film programme, the variety of genres showing there, its politically committed programme and the many European and world premieres featured each year. During IDFA, creative documentaries take centre stage. This means that IDFA chooses films which express the filmmaker’s point of view in a creative and cinematic manner. The selection takes place on the basis of clear criteria. IDFA searches for documentaries that are cinematically intriguing or innovative, are relevant or highly topical to society at large, and stimulate the viewer to reflect, discuss and ask questions.

It is for that reason that I chose to show Darwin’s Nightmare (2004) by Austrian director Hubert Sauper. With this film Sauper paints a painfully clear picture of how poverty is not just limited to certain regions but has become a truly global issue. By interweaving several personal stories, all centred around Lake Victoria, he subtly portrays the dark side of Western capitalism.

ALLY DERKS
IDFA Director