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A program of 20 documentaries on the effects of climate change is set to screen in Istanbul ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which Türkiye hosts in Antalya, a Mediterranean coastal city in the south, on Nov. 9-20.
Titled “COP31 Documentary Days,” the program is organized under the COP ART umbrella. Screenings take place at Atlas 1948 Cinema on Oct. 27-28 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1. All screenings are free of charge.
The lineup includes nine feature-length and 11 short documentaries shown at festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlin and the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA). Many won awards there.
The films cover the Amazon rainforest, frozen ground in Siberia, olive groves in Palestine, grasslands in Mongolia, drylands in Kenya and Salda Lake in Türkiye. Themes include biodiversity, food and water security, Indigenous rights, ecological restoration and climate policy.
“Raoni: Warrior of the Amazon” (“Raoni - Amazon Savascisi”), directed by Alexandre Bouchet, follows Kayapo leader Raoni Metuktire’s struggle to protect the Amazon forests. “Standing Up for a Mountain” (“Bir Daga Sahip Cikmak”), winner of the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2026, tells how Gara and Nada defend their land on Montenegro’s Sinjajevina plateau.
The 11 short documentaries are split into two programs of 98 and 92 minutes. “The Flowers Stood Silently Witnessing” (“Cicekler Sessizce Taniklik Ediyordu”), directed by Theo Panagopoulos, won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2025 and Best Short Documentary at IDFA 2024.
“A Complete Oddity” (“Tam Bir Tuhaflik”), nominated for the 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary Short, follows three donkeys as they explore an abandoned desert observatory.
Istanbul screenings start daily at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. After Istanbul, COP31 Documentary Days moves to Antalya Science Center/Dokumapark on Nov. 9-12.
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