Get Ready! DOXA Returns This Spring

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival is the largest fest of its kind in Western Canada. Now in its 24th year, it hits theatres across Vancouver May 1 to 11 with more than 65 local and international films.

The 2025 festival theme is resistance — a fitting response to the political moment. “Resistance interrupts the given, forcing a break in what seems inevitable,” says Marianne Thodas, DOXA’s programming and industry manager. “Documentary, too, works in this way — cutting through habitual perception, unsettling the order of things and making room for what must be seen.”

The festival opens with Aisha’s Story, an example of resistance in action.

The film, directed by Victoria locals Elizabeth Vibert and Chen Wang, explores the history of Palestinian displacement, the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the power of food as a tool for cultural expression and resistance. It follows the life of Aisha, a Palestinian woman who runs a grain mill with her son in Jordan. She maintains Palestinian history and identity by passing down traditional recipes and preserving heritage grains.

“Opening the festival with Aisha’s Story is not just about showcasing an exceptional documentary — it is about centring a Palestinian perspective on one of the world’s most pressing political issues,” Thodas says.

“At a time when discussions about Palestine are often suppressed, it’s important to support artistic work that reflects on history and lived experiences.”

The festival closes with Haida filmmaker Patrick Shannon’s Saints and Warriors, which explores basketball as a site of community building and anti-colonial resistance.

The film details the significance and history of basketball for the people of Xaayda Gwaay.yaay (Haida Gwaii), following legendary Haida team the Skidegate Saints as they defend their title at the All Native Basketball Tournament and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous land rights.

“For us, as a B.C.-based festival, it was crucial to highlight Indigenous voices, and this film offers an exciting perspective on Haida culture,” says Thodas.

Also returning to this year’s festival is DOXA’s Justice Forum, which showcases five films that inspire dialogue about social, political and environmental justice.

Each Justice Forum film is followed by a panel discussion among filmmakers, experts and activists connecting their work with broader movements for social change.

One example is Justice Forum film The Pickers, from German director Elke Sasse, which exposes the exploitative working conditions facing the one million migrant farmworkers who harvest the fruit and vegetables that supply Europe’s supermarkets.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Sanctuary Health Vancouver and the BC Federation of Labour on how the situation in Europe echoes the challenges faced by migrant farmworkers in B.C.

Pushing the limits of storytelling

DOXA is also featuring films that resist the norms of the documentary form with its new paraDOXA program, which highlights five experimental films that push the boundaries of the medium.

“I often hesitate to use the word ‘experimental’ because of the connotations it can carry — when people sometimes hear ‘experimental’ they think of flashing, abstract imagery with no narrative,” Thodas explains. “But experimental at its core simply means exploring new forms and pushing the limits of storytelling.”

Each paraDOXA screening is produced in partnership with local film collectives and arts organizations, and will feature a Q&A with the film’s director.

“This creates a chance for audiences to ask questions and hear insights that they wouldn’t normally get,” Thodas says. “After the isolation of the pandemic — and living in a city that can sometimes feel disconnected — these moments of gathering together are really special.”

Other films featured at DOXA include Have You Heard Judi Singh?, directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker Baljit Sangra, which delves into the life of Punjabi Black mid-century jazz musician Judi Singh in a story that mirrors the forgotten legacies of many artists and women of colour.

And director Lyana Patrick’s Nechako — It Will Be a Big River Again follows her journey to Stellat’en First Nation to document her community’s fight to restore the Nechako River in a multi-generational land defence battle.

DOXA creates an opportunity for live audiences to discover and experience stories like these together, forging connections with communities both near and far and reimagining resistance in complex, nuanced and hopeful ways.

“Something that many of our films showcase is that resistance isn’t just about struggle — it’s also about resilience, survival and the strength found in community, history and art,” Thodas says.

“Documentary creates space for empathy, encouraging audiences to engage with larger political and social issues in a way that feels immediate.”

DOXA’s 2025 program is now available in print and online. Tickets can be purchased online or at any of DOXA’s festival venues.