One of the most brilliant Brazilian poets of the 20th Century, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, dedicated one of his most celebrated poems to the intangible and plural character of truth. "The door of truth was open," he begins, "But it only let / Half a person in at a time." Later, he proceeds: "They knocked the door down, / Arrived at the luminous place, / Where truth shone its fire. It was divided into halves / One different from the other." This poetic address is the most beautiful metaphor for this festival.

Drummond is one of the protagonists of the Brazilian Retrospective this year. "Poetry Is Truth" invites the audience to experience, in 15 titles, how the Brazilian documentary has responded to the great challenge of capturing in image and movement the force of the art and the artists of the word. One of the beacons of this selection is an academic essay of another poet equally celebrated in this cycle, Ana Cristina César. Not a surprise.

Poets always aim at the essence. When their high standards of demand are shared by documentary filmmakers, great films are born. The new Brazilian and international batch of films in this edition, in and out of competition, is abundant in titles like these.

The Russian filmmaker Marina Goldovskaya, in over forty years of career, also made this her challenge. Paid homage on her 70th birthday with our International Retrospective, Marina extracts enchantment by registering everyday lives assailed by the winds of history. One woman and her (mutant) film cameras. So much violence, so much tenderness.

To the filmmakers, producers and technicians who trusted us with their works, I reaffirm the entire festival team's deepest gratitude. No less effusive are our thanks to the institutions that co-realize It's All True.

The door is open: enjoy!