“HIDDEN” directed by Monika Kotecka

Film in anticipation of the 36th Media Festival “Man in Danger”.

Short documentary essay,

dir. Monika Kotecka

Poland, 2026 | 22 min

What happens to anxiety when we can't or don't want to talk about it? Is it possible to hear an emotion that does not always find words?

Monika Kotecka's “Hidden” is an intimate, sensory documentary essay about the experience of anxiety, an emotion that permeates the body, disrupts the daily rhythm and leaves a mark. The heroines and heroes of the film answer the seemingly simple question: “How do I feel then?”. Their personal stories form into a multi-voiced, intergenerational tale of what is individual and at the same time common. The breath, the heartbeat, the sound and the image make up a sensual story of anxiety. Archival materials from the Educational Film Studio in Łódź come together with staged photos, creating a cinematic experience that allows emotions to resonate.

The film premiered at the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival and was presented, among others, in the Polish Competition of the 66th Krakow Film Festival, the Short Film Competition of the 45th Koszalin Film Debut Festival “Youth and Film” and the 21st Sole Luna Doc International Competition in Palermo.

Monika Kotecka is a director and cinematographer. In his films, he is interested in man, his emotions and what often remains invisible. It combines documentary observation with formal experimentation and conscious work with image and sound.

The 36th Media Festival “Man in Danger” is an important meeting place for documentary cinema and reportage. For years, his focus has been on the human being, his experiences, relationships, choices and situations in which he faces change, crisis and threat.