At a medieval fortress overlooking the town of Peja in southern Kosovo, the DokuFest film festival, which has become one of the largest cultural events in the country, is set to begin. The festival has been showcasing international short films and documentaries since 2002, providing a window to the world for local youth who face difficulties traveling abroad. DokuFest is renowned for its five open-air screening venues located among mosques and churches that reflect the city’s diverse cultural and religious heritage. Two screens have been set up atop the Peja Fortress, while a third screen is situated in a square near the 17th-century Sinan Pasha Ottoman Mosque. Festival Arts Director Fiton Nuredin said, "DokuFest has brought the world here." He added, "With our inability to travel abroad, we brought the world here with people, films, possibilities, and friendship."
With ongoing ethnic tensions in Kosovo since its declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, residents are required to obtain visas to travel to EU countries. Despite Kosovo being recognized by around 110 other countries, its citizens' passports remain among the weakest in the world. This year, the festival is showcasing over 200 films, including documentaries from Colombia, Tanzania, the UK, Canada, and the United States. The festival also embraces the theme of artificial intelligence, raising the question of whether AI or human intelligence is worse.
