MARIINKA wins the AUDIENCE:AWARD 2026

Heartbreaking, eye-opening and visually poetic. These are just some of the words audiences have used to describe the film. And we couldn’t agree more.

Pieter-Jan De Pue says: “My crew and I are incredibly honored with this AUDIENCE:AWARD. Not only for this award as a recognition in itself, but primarily for the fact that MARIINKA apparently managed to evoke emotions in the audience, which is perhaps the most important thing of all—and ultimately the reason why we all make films. Thank you very much CPH:DOX, thanks to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation!”

‘MARIINKA’ had its world premiere during CPH:DOX at the opening galla. Here our duo of directors, Niklas Engstrøm and Katrine Kiilgaard motivated the film with these words in their opening speech: “MARIINKA’ is, above all, a film about what war does to people. To families. To relationships. To destinies that cross front lines and are never the same again. A film like this could not exist without a filmmaker with a truly unique perspective—and Pieter-Jan De Pue has that.”

A huge thank you to everyone who voted and helped decide this year’s winner.

The AUDIENCE:AWARD is presented in collaboration with DR, Danish Broadcasting Corporation and the prize includes   €10,000.

You can still stream ‘MARIINKA’ at the digital festival on PARA:DOX here.