Czech Documentary Achieves Historic Success at Berlinale

A Milestone for Czech Cinema

The Czech-Slovak documentary film If Pigeons Turned to Gold by Pepa Lubojacký has achieved extraordinary success at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. Presented in the Forum section, the film won two prestigious awards: the Caligari Film Award, awarded by an independent jury, and the main Berlinale Documentary Award. This marks the very first victory for a Czech or Slovak production in the Caligari competition – an award that has existed since 1986.

A Story of Those Who Are Invisible

Lubojacký spent five years following his brother David, who struggles with alcoholism and homelessness, and two of his cousins in similar life situations. The film offers an intimate account of how people on the margins of society become invisible to those around them – and how art can restore their voice and dignity.

Upon accepting the award, Lubojacký spoke about the social stigmatization of homeless people:

"When you are homeless or living with addiction, you become invisible to society. This award means that they are the center of attention, that they matter."

Two Awards from Berlin

The Caligari Film Award has been presented since 1986 by the Federal Association of Communal Film Work in cooperation with other cultural organizations. The prize of 4,000 euros is divided between the filmmakers and the distributor, who ensures the film's release in German cinemas. However, the film also celebrated a greater victory: the Berlinale Documentary Award brought Lubojacký and producers Klára Mamojková and Wanda Kaprálová a prize of 40,000 euros – approximately one million Czech crowns. Moreover, the victory automatically opens the way for a nomination for the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2027.

The Berlinale Documentary Award jury praised Lubojacký's "inventive directorial voice." The Caligari Award jury highlighted the film's self-reflective approach and its "cinematographic methods" in dealing with the sensitive topic of addiction – while being aware of the tension between protecting vulnerable protagonists and respecting their autonomy.

Innovative Film Language

The film was shot on a mobile phone, and its visual language combines seemingly disparate elements: textual sculptures, long-term observation, electronic music, and archival photographs revived using artificial intelligence. The contrast between authentic footage of the protagonists' lives and artificially generated images creates a productive alienation, which the jury identified as a key feature of the work. The production is by CLAW Films in collaboration with guča films and Czech Television; the film was supported by the Czech Film Fund, the Prague Audiovisual Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, and the European fund Eurimages. The world premiere took place on February 13, 2026, at the Zoo Palast cinema in Berlin.

Czech Documentary Filmmaking on the Rise

The success of If Pigeons Turned to Gold comes at a time when Czech documentary filmmaking is experiencing a significant international upswing. Films such as I'm Not Everything I Want to Be by Klára Tasovská have garnered recognition at festivals from Berlin to Montreal, while War Reporter by David Čálek and Benjamin Tuček triumphed in Warsaw. Berlinale 2026 confirmed this trend with unprecedented force. Distribution of the winning film in Europe is now being actively discussed, and there is a real chance that audiences across the continent will soon see it in cinemas.