Jan Ijäs‘ film PICNIC – In Light Invisible to Eye Human Eye has been selected for the 39th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The film is part of the IDFA Competition for Short Documentary. The festival takes place from November 12–22, 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

PICNIC – In Light Invisible to Eye Human Eye was shot in September 2025 on the northern border of Israel and Gaza. During filming, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive into Gaza on September 15. The attack took place at the same time that the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.

The film follows the Gaza War as seen from Israel. The filming locations include Israel’s war memorials from previous military operations. The locations are also popular picnic spots, where families come to spend time together and watch the war.

Narrator voiceover texts have been collected from the websites of the filming locations, as well as TripAdvisor and Google, where visitors shared their experiences in the areas featured in the film during the war period.

The film was shot entirely on 16mm and 35mm infrared film. Infrared light is invisible to the human eye. What is invisible can be incomprehensible—difficult to understand.

Media artist and film director Jan Ijäs (b. 1975) studied documentary film making at the Department of Film, Television and Scenography at the Aalto University in Helsinki. His work can be described as a blend of avant garde, experimental media art and documentary film making. His films have been screened at more than 200 Finnish and international film festivals and as installations in museums and art galleries. He has won numerous awards, including the Finnish Risto Jarva Prize in 2011 for SWEET MOV(I)E, Raft of the Médusa, film about immigration won the Amnesty International Award 2018 at the IndieLisboa film festival in Portugal.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
November 12–22, 2026
Amsterdam, Netherlands

More information: IDFA: PICNIC – In Light Invisible to the Human Eye