The 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, will take place from 5 to 15 March 2026. TiDF will present five documentaries that reveal lesser-known sides of some iconic figures: Kim Novak, Robert Wilson, Marianne Faithfull, William S. Burroughs, Patti Smith, Frank Zappa and Irvine Welsh.

Visionary filmmakers Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard craft an intimate, imaginative portrait of the late icon Marianne Faithfull, an artist who, across more than sixty years, defied every box imposed upon her and constantly reinvented herself. Developed with Faithfull’s own involvement and blending documentary insight with a daring fictional framework, the film draws viewers into the enigmatic Ministry of Not Forgetting, a liminal space where fragments of her memories, performances, and contradictions are gathered and reclaimed. Guided by the ethereal presence of Tilda Swinton as the Overseer and the searching gaze of George MacKay as the Record Keeper, and featuring Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Courtney Love, Beth Orton, Jehnny Beth, and Suki Waterhouse, Broken English becomes a cinematic ritual of remembrance. More than a biography, the film serves as Faithfull’s swan song, revealing the complex, inventive, and utterly unforgettable woman behind the myth.

A lyrical and intimate portrait of one of Hollywood’s most enduring enigmas – a luminous star who, at the peak of her fame, turned her back on the spotlight to embrace a life of solitude, self-expression, and authenticity. Blending rare archival footage with deeply personal reflections and vivid glimpses into her reclusive life along Oregon’s wild Rogue River, Kim Novak’s Vertigo traces the actress’ extraordinary path from mid-century icon to fiercely private artist. While Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo remains her most iconic role, the film explores how that performance – and the duality it captured – mirrors the ongoing tension between image and identity that shaped her life. As she revisits fragments of her past, a deeper story emerges: one of defiance, reinvention, and the quiet power of a woman who walked away from fame to remain true to herself.

Author of Trainspotting, the novel that defined an era, Irvine Welsh remains a radical voice who never stops experimenting. While touring Canada to promote his new book, he once again probes the limits of consciousness, taking DMT at a specialized treatment facility. What follows is a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic trip that places us, quite literally, inside the mind of a fiercely unrestrained artist. Paul Sng’s new film, Reality Is Not Enough, is both an off-kilter portrait of an iconic writer and a collective portrait of British society and its stakes over more than four decades. At once a deep dive into the mechanics of artistic creation and a forceful call for political vigilance and resolve, this dynamic portrait is further enriched by readings from Welsh’s work by devoted fans—including Nick Cave and Liam Neeson.

Howard Brookner’s riveting documentary Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars will be screened during this year’s TiDF in a newly restored print. The film follows theatre director Robert Wilson, who passed away recently, as he attempts to create a 12-hour epic opera for the 1984 Olympic Games. A close friend of Wilson’s, Brookner captures the dizzying process on camera as the work takes shape through the eyes of a truly remarkable artist. Long considered a lost film after part of its footage disappeared during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the documentary has now been brought back to life thanks to a twelve-year restoration effort led by the director’s nephew, Aaron Brookner; an endeavour to preserve this invaluable record of Wilson’s creative practice.

Nova ‘78, directed by Aaron Brookner and Rodrigo Areias from a restored archive by Howard Brookner, is an electrifying journey into the heart of 1970s counter-culture, built around never-before-seen footage from the legendary Nova Convention. This explosive three-day event in New York City celebrated William S. Burroughs’ return to America after living over twenty years in Latin America, North Africa, Paris, and London. It brought together icons such as Patti Smith, Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, and many more. A cultural time capsule on the enduring power of creative freedom, the footage captures backstage moments, candid encounters, and raw performances at the heart of the downtown scene. Originally shot on 16mm by filmmaker Howard Brookner and long considered lost, the footage also marked the beginning of his cult classic Burroughs: The Movie.