PALESTINE COMEDY CLUB

WORLD PREMIERE Shedding light on the familial burden of the migrant crisis, A Place of Absence charts the physical and emotional journey of Central American mothers on a bus caravan as they desperately search for their disappeared children, clinging to hope against overwhelming odds. Interwoven with the filmmaker’s story of her beloved uncle’s disappearance, this film offers a poignant look at migration, loss, and the enduring bonds of family. - Karen McMullen

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Marialuisa Ernst and executive producer Cecilia Aldarondo.

The second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer Marialuisa Ernst and film participant Anita Zelaya.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Haunted by his father’s unresolved death during the 1983 Matabeleland massacres, a Zimbabwean immigrant in Botswana believes his family is cursed. Burdened by generational trauma and historical violence, the man struggles to build a future, despite having love in his life. While trying to properly bury his father, he must confront his long-avoided pain. This powerful exploration of grief and memory is an intimate portrait of one man’s journey toward healing and spiritual reconciliation. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Nyasha Kadandara.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

US PREMIERE Set on Louisiana’s rapidly vanishing Isle de Jean Charles, this quietly powerful documentary captures the lives of two teenagers and their uncle as they navigate the slow erosion of their home. Faced with forced resettlement by the US government, their story unfolds through intimate, observational filmmaking that renders their daily lives with empathy and unbridled honesty. As the land disappears beneath their feet, the film offers a timely, human portrait of climate displacement. - Murtada Elfadl

The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Sandra Winther and film protagonist Juliette Brunet.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Accessibility alert for November 16 screening of Lowland Kids: We have been recently informed by Village East Cinemas that the room where this screening takes place is currently only accessible via a short flight of eight stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, the film is available to view at home as part of DOC NYC’s online festival. Please reach out to ticketing@docnyc.net with any questions.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE In the aftermath of Mosul’s destruction by ISIS, Bashar Salih and his family sift through the ruins of their ancestral home, salvaging fragments of life, culture, and memory. As they dig through debris, confront looters, and debate selling architectural relics to a passionate collector, the film meditates on the tension between rebuilding and accepting irretrievable loss. A quietly powerful portrait of resilience, it explores the personal and societal cost of war, memory, and cultural survival. - Ruth Somalo

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Thorvald Nilsen.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Accessibility alert for November 15 screening of The Lions by the River Tigris: We have been recently informed by Village East Cinemas that the room where this screening takes place is currently only accessible via a short flight of eight stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, the film is available to view at home as part of DOC NYC’s online festival. Please reach out to ticketing@docnyc.net with any questions.

US PREMIERE A poignant and powerful story following Afghanistan’s female ambassador to Austria as she faces a life-altering decision in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power. Refusing to represent an oppressive regime, she bravely confronts the very forces that tore her country apart. Through her defiance, Manizha Bakhtari becomes a voice for Afghanistan’s women whose rights have been taken away. The Last Ambassador is a stirring and emotionally charged story of resistance. - Murtada Elfadl

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Peter Drössler and editor Birgit Foerster.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.