Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival

The 23rd Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival will welcome visitors to Budapest from November 16 to 25, 2026!

This year’s festival once again presents documentaries that explore current social, political and humanitarian issues around the world. War, social inequality, identity, family, migration, environmental protection and human rights all play an important role in this year’s selection.

One of the highlights of this year’s programme is A Simple Soldier (Prostyi soldat), a documentary that portrays the everyday realities of war through the personal story of Ukrainian cinematographer Artem Ryzhykov. The film follows his experiences at the front over a period of three and a half years, allowing viewers to witness the reality of war not as outsiders, but almost as direct participants. The film will be screened on November 18 at 4:00 PM at Toldi Cinema and on November 22 at 6:30 PM at Művész Cinema.

Another deeply moving film is Gaza’s Twins, Come Back to Me, which follows the story of Rania, a Palestinian mother. She gives birth to triplets in the midst of the war in Gaza, but the conflict soon tears her family apart. Rather than presenting the horrors of war through political concepts, the film explores them through the perspectives of motherhood, family bonds and human love. The documentary will be screened at Művész Cinema on November 18 at 4:15 PM and again on November 22 at 6:00 PM.

If you are interested in historical and political contexts, Time Machine to Maidan could be one of the most interesting choices for you. The film revisits the events of Ukraine’s 2013–2014 Maidan Revolution and reinterprets the past through the experiences of the ongoing war. Alongside its historical perspective, the memory of a friend who lost his life in the war also plays an important role. The documentary will be screened on November 20 at 6:30 PM at Toldi Cinema and on November 23 at 4:00 PM at Művész Cinema.

One of the shorter films in the festival programme is The Archivist of Chornobyl, a 25-minute documentary. Forty years after the nuclear disaster, the film explores how people are trying to preserve the disappearing cultural heritage of the Chornobyl region. It can be seen on November 21 at 8:15 PM at Művész Cinema, in a screening followed by a Q&A session. It will be screened again on November 25 at 4:15 PM.

If you are interested in social issues, Better Find It Out from Me – Six Roma Portraits from the Székelykeresztúr Region is a film you should not miss! Lakatos Miska’s documentary explores questions of identity, belonging and community through the personal stories of six Roma people. The film will be screened on November 19 at 8:00 PM at Művész Cinema, followed by a Q&A session.

The social situation of Roma communities is also explored from a historical perspective in Pál Schiffer’s What Are the Gypsy Children Doing?, a documentary made in 1975. The film draws attention to issues such as school segregation, unequal educational opportunities and social exclusion. It will be screened on November 24 at 6:00 PM at Művész Cinema, followed by a Q&A session.

The festival programme also includes several screenings followed by discussions, offering audiences the opportunity to continue engaging with the films long after the credits have rolled. The screenings of Better Find It Out from Me on November 19, The Archivist of Chornobyl on November 21, and What Are the Gypsy Children Doing? on November 24 provide excellent opportunities to discuss the issues raised by these films.

Practical Information

Dates: November 16–25, 2026.

Venues: The festival takes place at several locations across Budapest, including Toldi Cinema (1054 Budapest, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 36–38), Művész Cinema (1066 Budapest, Teréz körút 30), Blinken OSA Archivum (1051 Budapest, Arany János utca 32), CEU, the Goethe-Institut, Gólya Presszó and Community Centre, and Trafó House of Contemporary Arts.

Tickets: Standard cinema tickets cost HUF 2,900, while discounted tickets for students, pensioners and teachers are available for HUF 2,400. Admission to Mark Cousins’ The Story of Documentary Film I–IV screening costs HUF 4,900. A festival pass is available for HUF 9,000, granting admission to four different screenings. Pass holders can also attend selected festival concerts free of charge.

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