Benjamin Kodboel is a multilingual Danish filmmaker based in London and an alumnus of the National Film and Television School; he focuses on documentaries highlighting the human impact of global conflicts. With a background in journalism and foreign language production, his award-winning work has been screened at festivals such as Hot Docs and Sheffield DocFest.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in filmmaking? What inspired you to pursue a career in the film industry?
I’m a Danish filmmaker based in London and an alumnus of the National Film and Television School. My work has been recognized with an RTS award and has screened at festivals such as Hot Docs, Sheffield DocFest, CPH:DOX, SXSW, and Visions du Réel.
With a background in journalism, specializing in foreign language production and hostile environments, my focus lies in interrogating the human consequences of global conflicts. I view documentary filmmaking as an essential medium for amplifying marginalized voices and reexamining dominant narratives.
My pursuit of cinema was born from a dual impulse—escapism and an insatiable curiosity to engage with the world beyond my own.
What does being part of Berlinale Talents mean to you? Is there something about the city that resonates with your creative process?
Being part of Berlinale Talents is both a recognition of my journey and a chance to grow within a community of boundary-pushing filmmakers.
Berlin’s layered history and creative energy resonate with my work—stories of displacement, resilience, and shifting perspectives. Like documentary filmmaking, the city embraces contradictions, where truth and interpretation constantly evolve.
How do you balance expressing your unique voice while creating work that resonates with audiences around the world?
My early work adopted an anthropological approach, immersing itself in the rhythms of its subjects. Over time, I have leaned toward a more directed and poetic language—an evolution that allows for deeper authorship while maintaining an openness to interpretation.
Having worked extensively in observational filmmaking, I now seek to challenge its limitations, experimenting across genres and modes of storytelling. This exploration enables me to craft narratives that remain deeply personal yet resonate across cultures and perspectives.
This year’s theme is 'Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance.' How does the theme connect to your work and the stories you want to tell?
For me, listening courageously means embracing voices that aren’t always the loudest—including my own. It’s about recognising that less articulate or introverted individuals can still tell powerful stories. At networking events, I’ve faced dismissive remarks, like being told, “You can’t be a director if you’re that introverted.” These moments fuel my commitment to creating space for quieter perspectives, proving that storytelling isn’t about volume—it’s about depth.