ver.di prize for portrait of a Ugandan freedom fighter
November 3, 2025 by Gundula Lasch
Award winner Patience Nitumwesiga in the foreground with the ver.di jury consisting of Rüdiger Steinmetz, Julia Cruschwitz and Rüdiger Trojok, as well as union secretary Lucas Munzke (from left to right). Photo: Sophie Mahler/DOK
The ver.di jury for the 2025 edition also included renowned media professionals: Julia Cruschwitz , freelance investigative journalist for, among others, MDR and Deutschlandfunk; Rüdiger Steinmetz , emeritus professor of media studies and founder of the Leipzig university radio station "Mephisto 97.6"; and Rüdiger Trojok , graphic design production manager and member of the MDR's freelance council. After extensive deliberation, the panel selected "The Woman Who Poked the Leopard" by Patience Nitumwesiga from a selection of films in the German Competition. The jury's statement reads:
"The Woman Who Poked the Leopard" is an intense portrait of activist Stella Nyanzi. She fights for freedom, human rights, and democracy in authoritarian Uganda. The film reveals her multifaceted nature: as a scientist, poet, and politician. Fearlessly, she confronts the regime using spectacular methods. For this, she is arrested and mistreated. We witness her tireless struggle with her campaign team at the grassroots level for democracy. Ultimately, she flees into exile in Germany. Patience Nitumwesiga also tells the story of how the children suffer because of their mother's activism. Her daughter Baraka stands up for her younger brothers, thus embodying her mother's values.
ver.di award-winning film shows a courageous and unconventional feminist
This gripping documentary about Ugandan feminist and gender studies scholar Stella Nyanzi is full of action. Using a mobile handheld camera, the film captures the power of its protagonist, its rhythm mirroring her furious writings. In her fight against state oppression, Nyanzi minces no words. When she mocked President Yoweri Museveni, who had been in power for almost 40 years, with a vulgar poem in 2017, she was imprisoned. After her release, Nyanzi ran for parliament, lacking the funds for a campaign. She and her children printed and distributed posters and leaflets in the slums of Kampala. Her daughter styled her mother's hair and makeup for public appearances; she had hardly any time for herself or her siblings. Eventually, the family emigrated to Germany to escape police violence. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that she will continue her fight from here.
A total of 78 films competed for Golden and Silver Doves in the festival's four competitions, 30 of which were world premieres. An overview of all DOK 2025 award winners can be found here.
The Free State's budget cuts threaten DOK Leipzig
In 2026, Ola Staszel will succeed Christoph Terhechte as artistic director and general manager of DOK Leipzig, as well as managing director of Leipziger DOK-Filmwochen GmbH. Terhechte will leave the festival on January 31, 2026. Staszel will be tasked with ensuring DOK Leipzig's continued success next year despite massive funding cuts of approximately 20 percent from the Free State of Saxony. One consequence of these austerity measures is that staff salaries cannot be adjusted to reflect the rising cost of living. The festival also announced in April that there will be cuts to the program, as there is a lack of capacity for offerings beyond the core program. Festival staff at DOK Leipzig aptly summarized the situation as "a step backward instead of progress."
This year, there were no funds available for implementing accessible offerings . Fortunately, the festival has a strong local fan base: a crowdfunding campaign raised the necessary €10,000 in the summer, enabling five feature films in the competition to be made accessible. Additional audio descriptions were made possible through festival partners.
