In his editorial welcoming audiences to the 52nd edition of Belgium’s leading Film Fest Ghent , taking place between Oct. 9-18, program director Wim De Witte emphasized that “we find ourselves in a world where facts surpass fiction.” He went on to call films like Kaouther Ben Hania’s Venice-winning “The Voice of Hind Rajab” and Kateryna Gornostai’s “Timestamp” “essential viewing,” saying “they create space for empathy and make visible what might otherwise remain unseen.”

Speaking with Variety ahead of this year’s edition, De Witte emphasized it was “important” for him to make such a statement in a year like 2025, where conversations around politics and war heavily affect a festival’s programming choices. “It’s a complicated time for programming,” he says. “We signed the pledge of the

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