Focus: Truth
In a time when the boundaries between fact and fiction become blurrier, Göteborg Film Festival 2026 takes a look at the truth. Under the year’s banner of Focus: Truth, the festival will examine how truth itself is shown, shaped, manipulated and questioned – on-screen, and off.
The so-called “post-truth era” in which we live is characterized by the notion that facts, scientific evidence and objective truth can take second place to emotions and personal beliefs. When truth erodes, trust is undermined and, ultimately, so is democracy. With this year’s focus, the festival seeks to raise the question of what happens in a society where facts lose their power.
"We live in a time when the very Idea of truth is being put under pressure. Where the boundaries between fact and fiction often become blurred: in news feeds, on social media, and in political rhetoric. With Focus: Truth, we want to explore how film can both reflect and influence our understanding of reality," says Pia Lundberg, Artistic Director of Göteborg Film Festival.
Film plays with the truth. From documentary pursuits of objectivity to fiction that can tell even deeper - and sometimes, truer - stories. Throughout history, film has been used as a tool for enlightenment and a means of propaganda, but also as a way of making hidden perspectives and moral dilemmas visible. In today's film culture, the boundary between reality and fiction continues to be challenged: via true crime narratives, autofiction and meta-cinema, where film makers scrutinize their own stories. Meanwhile, AI is creating new questions around authenticity, and politically-engaged filmmakers use the truth as a weapon in the fight for justice.
"With Focus: Truth we want to give our audience new perspectives on truth and lies, while encouraging reflection on how we tell our stories and what we choose to believe. The theme is acutely relevant, and deeply human. In January, we want to examine the truth with curiosity and playfulness," says Pia Lundberg.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Few filmmakers have used the medium of cinema to explore the nature of truth as profoundly as Kaouther Ben Hania. In The Voice of Hind Rajab, she does so with more force and urgency than ever before.
No Comment
A sharp and entertaining satire with a biting edge aimed at a political establishment willing to sacrifice both morality and truth to save its own skin and hold on to power.
The Disappearance of Josef Mengele
Auschwitz Angel of Death escapes justice but not his past in an intense and visually striking portrayal of Josef Mengele’s flight through Latin America.
Re-Creation
Jim Sheridan pursues truth and justice in a hybrid docudrama where a fictional jury is asked to judge a real criminal case, based on a trial that never took place.
Focus: Truth is presented in collaboration with Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and its annual yearbook Justice.
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