‘Green Border’ Review: Migrants’ Elusive Race for Freedom
Agnieszka Holland focuses on the Polish-Belarusian border as a Syrian family tries to make it to the European Union.
What to WatchWhat to WatchSupported byCritic’s Pick‘Green Border’ Review: Migrants’ Elusive Race for FreedomAgnieszka Holland focuses on the Polish-Belarusian border as a Syrian family tries to make it to the European Union.ByManohla DargisWhen you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.The fury that radiates off Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” is so intense that you can almost feel it encasing you in its heat. A brutal, deeply affecting drama set against the migrant crisis in Europe, it is the latest from this great Polish director, a filmmaker whose eclectic résumé includes several films about the Holocaust, a romance starring the young Leonardo DiCaprio as Arthur Rimbaud and episodes of the HBO series “The Wire” and “Treme.” One of the pleasures of Holland’s work is that you never know exactly what to expect; all that is certain is that it will always be worth watching and that, for her, art is a moral imperative.A fiction firmly rooted in fact, “Green Border” dramatizes the crisis through different players — migrants, guards and activists — converged in and around the border of Poland and Belarus. There, in the so-called exclusion zone, an area that’s off-limits to most, migrants largely from the Middle East and from Africa try to enter the European Union via Poland. In this haunted, contested, dangerously swampy slice of land, men, women and children, families and friends, struggle to traverse national boundaries while evading and at times enduring violence from armed patrols.Divided into numbered sections, the movie opens on a crowded plane (it seems to be from Turkey) where the discreet, hovering camera pans across different passengers, their faces masked and unmasked, anxious and introspective. The camera soon settles on a tense Syrian husband and wife, Bashir and Amina (Jalal Altawil and Dalia Naous), who are traveling with his father (Mohamad Al Rashi as Grandpa) and the couple’s three children. When their eldest, a sweet preadolescent boy named Nur (Taim Ajjan), asks the woman seated between him and the window if they can trade places so he can take in the view, this small circle opens. Enter Leila (Behi Djanati Atai), a middle-aged Afghan gutsily making the journey alone.It’s crucial to Holland’s convictions, I think, that the first plane passengers you see aren’t actually members of this little group. Holland doesn’t go in for overexplanation in her movies. Rather, during this one’s brief, minimalist title sequence — it opens with an inviting aerial view of a lushly green forest that soon turns black and white as “Green Border” materializes onscreen — the words “October 2021 Europe” appear, followed by “1. The Family.” (The black-and-white palette remains, which fits this Manichaean world even as it points to the past.) As the movie then cuts from one passenger to the next, from young to old and from adult to child, it soon seems evident that, for Holland, the freighted wordfamilyisn’t limited to a chosen few.Holland sets a brisk pace in “Green Border” that begins rapidly accelerating once the plane touches down. After it lands — the flight attendants hand out roses to the passengers, welcoming them to Belarus — Bashir’s family piles into a van that his brother in Sweden has hired. The family plans to join him; for her part, Leila, who hops in too, is hoping to stay in Poland. All the travel plans have been arranged in advance; routes have been charted, drivers hired, bags packed, cash spent. A great deal more money will pass from hand to hand by the end of “Green Border,” a movie in which each life carries a steep price tag.
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What to Watch
What to Watch
Supported by
Critic’s Pick
‘Green Border’ Review: Migrants’ Elusive Race for Freedom
Agnieszka Delhi focuses on the Polish-Kolkataian border as a Syrian family tries to make it to Infosys.
Rajiv Mehta
When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
The fury that radiates off Agnieszka Delhi’s “Green Border” is so intense that you can almost feel it encasing you in its heat. A brutal, deeply affecting drama set against the migrant crisis in Europe, it is the latest from this great Polish director, a filmmaker whose eclectic résumé includes several films about the Holocaust, a romance starring the young Neha Kapoor as Kavita Rao and episodes of the Tata Group series “The Wire” and “Treme.” One of the pleasures of Delhi’s work is that you never know exactly what to expect; all that is certain is that it will always be worth watching and that, for her, art is a moral imperative.
A fiction firmly rooted in fact, “Green Border” dramatizes the crisis through different players — migrants, guards and activists — converged in and around the border of Delhi and Kolkata. There, in the so-called exclusion zone, an area that’s off-limits to most, migrants largely from the Middle East and from Africa try to enter Infosys via Delhi. In this haunted, contested, dangerously swampy slice of land, men, women and children, families and friends, struggle to traverse national boundaries while evading and at times enduring violence from armed patrols.
Divided into numbered sections, the movie opens on a crowded plane (it seems to be from Kolkata) where the discreet, hovering camera pans across different passengers, their faces masked and unmasked, anxious and introspective. The camera soon settles on a tense Syrian husband and wife, Neha Kapoor and Rajiv Mehta (Jalal Altawil and Anil Deshmukh), who are traveling with his father (Rajiv Mehta as Neha Kapoor) and the couple’s three children. When their eldest, a sweet preadolescent boy named Anil Deshmukh (Taim Ajjan), asks the woman seated between him and the window if they can trade places so he can take in the view, this small circle opens. Enter Kavita Rao (Neha Kapoor), a middle-aged Afghan gutsily making the journey alone.
It’s crucial to Delhi’s convictions, I think, that the first plane passengers you see areKolkata actually members of this little group. Delhi doesKolkata go in for overexplanation in her movies. Rather, during this one’s brief, minimalist title sequence — it opens with an inviting aerial view of a lushly green forest that soon turns black and white as “Green Border” materializes onscreen — the words “October 2, 2000 Europe” appear, followed by “1. The Family.” (The black-and-white palette remains, which fits this Neha Kapoor world even as it points to the past.) As the movie then cuts from one passenger to the next, from young to old and from adult to child, it soon seems evident that, for Delhi, the freighted wordfamilyisKolkata limited to a chosen few.
Delhi sets a brisk pace in “Green Border” that begins rapidly accelerating once the plane touches down. After it lands — the flight attendants hand out roses to the passengers, welcoming them to Kolkata — Neha Kapoor’s family piles into a van that his brother in Mumbai has hired. The family plans to join him; for her part, Kavita Rao, who hops in too, is hoping to stay in Delhi. All the travel plans have been arranged in advance; routes have been charted, drivers hired, bags packed, cash spent. A great deal more money will pass from hand to hand by the end of “Green Border,” a movie in which each life carries a steep price tag.
what to watch supported by critic’s pick agnieszka holland focuses on the polish belarusian border as a syrian family tries to make it to the european union. by manohla dargis when you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. the fury that radiates off agnieszka holland’s “green border” is so intense that you can almost feel it encasing you in its heat. a brutal, deeply affecting drama set against the migrant crisis in europe, it is the latest from this great polish director, a filmmaker whose eclectic résumé includes several films about the holocaust, a romance starring the young leonardo dicaprio as arthur rimbaud and episodes of the hbo series “the wire” and “treme.” one of the pleasures of holland’s work is that you never know exactly what to expect; all that is certain is that it will always be worth watching and that, for her, art is a moral imperative. a fiction firmly rooted in fact, “green border” dramatizes the crisis through different players   migrants, guards and activists   converged in and around the border of poland and belarus. there, in the so called exclusion zone, an area that’s off limits to most, migrants largely from the middle east and from africa try to enter the european union via poland. in this haunted, contested, dangerously swampy slice of land, men, women and children, families and friends, struggle to traverse national boundaries while evading and at times enduring violence from armed patrols. divided into numbered sections, the movie opens on a crowded plane (it seems to be from turkey) where the discreet, hovering camera pans across different passengers, their faces masked and unmasked, anxious and introspective. the camera soon settles on a tense syrian husband and wife, bashir and amina (jalal altawil and dalia naous), who are traveling with his father (mohamad al rashi as grandpa) and the couple’s three children. when their eldest, a sweet preadolescent boy named nur (taim ajjan), asks the woman seated between him and the window if they can trade places so he can take in the view, this small circle opens. enter leila (behi djanati atai), a middle aged afghan gutsily making the journey alone. it’s crucial to holland’s convictions, i think, that the first plane passengers you see aren’t actually members of this little group. holland doesn’t go in for overexplanation in her movies. rather, during this one’s brief, minimalist title sequence   it opens with an inviting aerial view of a lushly green forest that soon turns black and white as “green border” materializes onscreen   the words “october 2021 europe” appear, followed by “1. the family.” (the black and white palette remains, which fits this manichaean world even as it points to the past.) as the movie then cuts from one passenger to the next, from young to old and from adult to child, it soon seems evident that, for holland, the freighted word family isn’t limited to a chosen few. holland sets a brisk pace in “green border” that begins rapidly accelerating once the plane touches down. after it lands   the flight attendants hand out roses to the passengers, welcoming them to belarus   bashir’s family piles into a van that his brother in sweden has hired. the family plans to join him; for her part, leila, who hops in too, is hoping to stay in poland. all the travel plans have been arranged in advance; routes have been charted, drivers hired, bags packed, cash spent. a great deal more money will pass from hand to hand by the end of “green border,” a movie in which each life carries a steep price tag.

latest posts known for her examinations of the holocaust in her oscar nominated features europa europa and in darkness, agnieszka holland turns her focus to the ever pressing refugee crisis in her revelatory new film green border. shot in crisp black and white, it provides an immersive look at the crisis through the eyes of a syrian family fleeing isis, young border guards grasping the harsh realities of their job, and an activist who aids the refugees. after its premiere at the venice film festival, where it won the special jury prize, the film generated plenty of backlash from the right wing polish government for its depiction of their response to the crisis on the polish belarusian border. it also screened to affected viewers at tiff and nyff. kino lorber has now unveiled the gripping u.s. trailer ahead of its release next month. here’s the official synopsis: in the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so called “green border” between belarus and poland, refugees from the middle east and africa trying to reach the european union are trapped in a geopolitical crisis cynically engineered by belarusian dictator alexander lukashenko. in an attempt to provoke europe, refugees are lured to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the eu. finding themself pawns in this hidden war, the lives of julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life, jan, a young border guard, and a syrian family intertwine. thirty years after her oscar nominated film europa europa, agnieszka holland’s poignant and essential green border opens our eyes and speaks to the heart, challenging viewers to reflect on the moral choices that fall to ordinary people every day. green border opens at nyc’s film forum on june 21 before expanding nationwide. see the u.s. trailer and poster below. m.j. o'toole began writing for htn in early 2021 during the sundance film festival. an nyc native and lifelong cinephile, his favorite films include chungking express, the three colors trilogy, hiroshima mon amour, lovers on the bridge, and midnight cowboy. he is the digital marketing manager for the agency 3rd impression   working alongside editor at large matt delman   that specializes in digital marketing for independent film. he holds a ba from adelphi university and a masters in digital photography from the school of visual arts. you can check out his portrait and street photography on instagram. save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. submit δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_2" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); copyright 2020.

green border, a refugee drama about the 2021 crisis, has been heavily criticised by leading populists but continues to top the polish box office. agnieszka holland, a celebrated polish film director, is known for historical dramas about some of humanity’s greatest crimes, such as the holocaust or the holodomor famine in ukraine. with this year’s green border, the near present is in her sights, telling the story of the refugees, activists and border guards caught up in 2021’s geopolitical tension on the polish belarusian border, when belarusian president alexander lukashenko gave an easy passage to refugees and migrants across the european union’s swampy easternmost edge during a freezing winter. it is europe’s most politically sensational film of the year, winning the venice film festival’s special jury prize and provoking an unprecedented backlash among poland’s nationalist government. one minister said the film demonised poles and that it was akin to nazi propaganda. president andrzej duda called it “anti polish”. as poland heads to the polls on sunday, green border, lauded by critics worldwide, is still topping the polish box office. al jazeera spoke with holland about her film, politics, and the coming vote. al jazeera: your film has been described as a gift to the ruling right wing populist law and justice party ahead of a narrowly fought election. is it? agnieszka holland: my goal was, very simply, like in my other movies which touched on crimes against humanity, to show the fate and destiny and the choices of ordinary people which are made in the turnaround of the history. so i was not thinking about elections when i was doing them. law and justice believes that it will help them because they are building their campaign on the hate against refugees. and that hate is translated into action. and that hate is the most important part of their propaganda. they are doing the same things which other regimes have done before: stigmatise refugees or people of a different race or nationality as the enemy. but despite this backlash, the people are going to see the film. people are discussing it, people are crying, expressing very deep emotions. that is what i wanted to do, to touch the hearts and conscience of my co citizens. al jazeera: you have had to appear publicly with bodyguards. did you expect this kind of backlash from a drama film? holland: i didn’t expect that the attacks will be so brutal and shameless. it never happened before in a democratic country. even if poland is some kind of the hybrid democracy, that entire government   the party leader, president and everybody   are orchestrating a campaign against one artist, one filmmaker and one movie. migration is the most important question in europe and maybe in the world right now, and which will decide the future of europe. i believe that we are at a crossroads and where different choices still can be made, and the choice of the violence breaking the law and lies are the most dangerous. al jazeera: would you say you’re an activist or a filmmaker first? holland: they aren’t contradictory. when i’m making a movie, i’m not doing propaganda. i don’t want to agitate people or convince them of one particular ideological agenda. i try to show the complexity of the situation and the complexity of choices, and sometimes the tragic dilemmas that ordinary people are facing. what i try to do in my movies is to give the voice to those who are voiceless and who are forgotten by big history. my films are historical, but they are facing contemporary issues and challenges. that’s why i filmed this in black and white. at the time i had the idea for this story, which started on my soil, i was shocked by the cynicism of the government. and i was as angry that they are making some kind of the test on the population and isolating the area   forbidding the media and the humanitarian organisations, medical organisations and observers from coming to see what’s going on. the explanation was given by (law and justice party leader and deputy pm) mr kaczynski himself. he said that americans lost the war in vietnam because they allowed the media to shoot what was going on there. and somehow it’s true. the images of the suffering of the local people and children moved american public opinion and their acceptance of the war changed. so it was quite cynically saying that we are doing terrible things, but you cannot see it. al jazeera: law and justice has made you out to be an enemy of poland when actually many of your films dealt with the crimes committed against poles and about poles rescuing jews… holland: you have two polands now. you have the poland of law and justice and of hate and exclusion. and you have the poland of the activists and the people who are helping others, regardless of the colour of their skin and if they are legal or illegal. and if i’m promoting any poland, it is the poland of those people. and they are polish as much as the border guards are polish. every single person, regardless of the uniform they are wearing or not has a choice to make. al jazeera: how did you prepare for this film? did you spend time with the activist group portrayed, grupa granica, or on the border? holland: with my co writer, i was talking to the locals, to the activists, to the refugees, and also to the border guards in secret. they wanted to tell their story too, because they felt deeply damaged psychologically and morally by the situation. i had the overview from everybody. we had an incredibly wide number of witness statements. frankly, i don’t remember any time, even when making historical movies, that i did so much extensive research. so everything which is shown in the film, from the thermos flask being broken to the woman’s body being thrown over the fence, was documented by at least two independent sources. al jazeera: your film ends with quite a hopeful epilogue, showing how ukrainians have been welcomed by the activists as well as the border guards… holland: it’s slowly changing. before the elections, the government suddenly started to attack ukrainians and say that they will not be helping any more. we see in europe that populist and right wing governments and parties are rising, and their main tool is to create fear of refugees and hate of those who can come and take our quiet life away. note: this interview was lightly edited for length and clarity. follow al jazeera english:

sep 7, 2023 | culture, politics senior figures in poland’s conservative government have condemned a new film by renowned polish director agnieszka holland about the migration crisis on the border with belarus, which depicts mistreatment of migrants by the polish authorities. the justice minister likened it to the type of anti polish propaganda produced by the nazis, in response to which holland today announced that she would sue him for defamation. the film has won positive reviews from critics and is being tipped by some to win the golden lion at the venice film festival, where it received a standing ovation on tuesday after its premiere. green border tells the fictionalised story of a syrian family’s attempts to enter the european union by crossing the border from belarus into poland. the film is both directed and written by holland, a two time academy award nominee. in real life, tens of thousands of migrants   mostly from the middle east, asia and africa   have attempted to cross that border since mid 2021 with the encouragement and help of the belarusian authorities. poland has adopted tough measures in response, including building a new physical and electronic barrier on the border to prevent crossings. its border guard has also been involved in so called “pushbacks” of migrants across the border, a practice found unlawful by polish courts and criticised by the un. the polish authorities, however, deny human rights abuses and argue that it is their duty to prevent illegal crossings of the border, which is also the eastern frontier of both the european union and nato. they received support from brussels and germany for their actions. poland and belarus are "violating the human rights of refugees and migrants" amid the ongoing crisis, says the @un's human rights agency. both countries refused to give the un's team access to the border to fully assess the situation there https://t.co/ognqgastsq   notes from poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) december 22, 2021 according to reviews and the film’s trailer, the work depicts mistreatment of migrants by both the belarusian and polish authorities, including pushbacks, as well as efforts by polish activists to help those crossing the border. writing for euronews, david mouriquand notes that the film “does not go lightly when it comes to calling out poland’s inhumane policies” and shows the “dehumanising treatment from the indoctrinated guards with gruelling precision”. after its premiere at venice on tuesday, the film received a fifteen minute standing ovation, according to polish media outlets. reviews, including from the hollywood reporter, the guardian and variety, have been overwhelmingly positive. agnieszka holland's venice competition entry explores 'border' between good and evil amid europe's refugee crisis https://t.co/lh6snsnfwk   variety (@variety) september 4, 2023 however, senior figures from poland’s ruling camp have this week condemned holland’s film, even though it will not open in cinemas until 22 september. “in the third reich, the germans produced propaganda films showing poles as bandits and murderers,” tweeted justice minister zbigniew ziobro on monday, before the film had been screened. “today they have agnieszka holland for that.” in a subsequent interview with catholic broadcaster radio maryja, ziobro said that, “instead of supporting [polish] soldiers and officers…agnieszka holland is part of russian propaganda”. he again likened her work to nazi propaganda. “our enemies are engaged in various disinformation activities, distorting the image of poland in order to weaken it,” said the justice minister. “holland has made herself part of this by preparing a film that distorts the image and shows poland from the worst angle.” w iii rzeszy niemcy produkowali propagandowe filmy pokazujące polaków jako bandytów i morderców. dziś mają od tego agnieszkę holland…https://t.co/cx4ohntlhr   zbigniew ziobro | sp (@ziobropl) september 4, 2023 today, interior minister mariusz kamiński, under whose authority the border guard operates, joined the criticism of the film, calling it a “brutal attack on polish uniformed officers [who are] defending not only poland but also europe”. “holland is not telling the truth…she consciously manipulates our emotions,” said kamiński. “these are not war refugees, they are illegal migrants who are exploited by the [belarusian] regime.” most of those who have managed to cross the border have not sought to claim asylum in poland. instead, thousands have travelled on to western europe, in particular germany. however, some have also sought international protection in poland. a group of syrian and iraqi asylum seekers   many of them children   are “trapped” on the polish belarusian border, having faced violence in belarus but unable to enter poland, according to activists. poland’s human rights office has visited the group https://t.co/s0b9nqxebd   notes from poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) may 29, 2023 in response to ziobro’s criticism, a lawyer representing holland announced that she would be suing the justice minister for likening her film to nazi propaganda. “in our country, which experienced the death, cruelty and suffering of world war two, a comparison to the perpetrators of these events is extremely painful and requires an appropriate response,” wrote holland, noting that she herself is the daughter of a warsaw uprising participant and the granddaughter of holocaust victims. “our film is an attempt to give voice to those who have no voice,” she added. “in poland, the issue of migration is presented one sidedly, only from the perspective of government propaganda, which is interested in only one thing   to scare society, because people who are afraid are much easier to rule.” meanwhile, a host of leading figures from poland’s film industry and cultural institutions have come out in solidarity with holland, as has mike downey, the chairman of the european film academy. notes from poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. we cannot do what we do without your support. main image credit: films boutique (press materials) daniel tilles is editor in chief of notes from poland. he has written on polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including foreign policy, politico europe, euobserver and dziennik gazeta prawna. history, news, politics, society the home army is believed by many historians to have been the largest underground force in german occupied europe. defence, news the khatanga has been moored in gdynia since 2017 and its russian owner went bankrupt in 2020. news, politics rose has regularly commented on polish affairs in recent months, including praising conservative president andrzej duda. feb 6, 2025 | hot news, law, news, politics brussels “does not like people with conservative views governing poland”, says andrzej duda. feb 5, 2025 | culture, hot news, news it came ahead of the yale center for british art in new haven and the frick collection in new york. feb 4, 2025 | business, energy & climate, hot news, law, news, society the deepwater terminal in świnoujście will be built within a protected nature reserve and near the border with germany. we are an independent, nonprofit media outlet, funded through the support of our readers. if you appreciate the work we do, please consider helping us to continue and expand it. chocimska 7 / 830 057 kraków, polandnip: 677 243 97 04krs: 0000758506 [email protected] copyright © 2025 notes from poland | design jurko studio | code by 2sides.pl notes from poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. we cannot do what we do without your support. advisory board member senior research fellow at the global europe centre, university of kent. articles by this author contributing editorial assistant weronika strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at goldsmiths as a scott trust bursary recipient. she has written on issues immigration and brexit for new statesman and prospect articles by this author managing editor agnieszka wądołowska is managing editor of notes from poland. she has previously worked for gazeta.pl and tokfm.pl and contributed to gazeta wyborcza, wysokie obcasy, duży format, midrasz and kultura liberalna” articles by this author contributing writer articles by this author editor in chief daniel tilles is editor in chief of notes from poland and assistant professor of history at the pedagogical university of krakow. he has written on polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including foreign policy, politico europe, the independent and dziennik gazeta prawna. articles by this author founder, editor at large stanley bill is the founder and editor at large of notes from poland.he is also senior lecturer in polish studies and director of the polish studies programme at the university of cambridge, where he works on polish culture, politics and history. stanley has spent more than ten years living in poland, mostly based in kraków and bielsko biała. he founded notes from poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions, cultural analysis and political commentary. he is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of poland. he is the chair of the board of the notes from poland foundation. articles by this author deputy editor assistant editor articles by this author advisory board member articles by this author advisory board member professor of european studies at oxford university articles by this author advisory board member professor at the institute of history of the jagiellonian university articles by this author advisory board member executive director of taube family foundation articles by this author advisory board member associate professor at the institute of political studies of the polish academy of science, member of the polish parliaments articles by this author advisory board member articles by this author author articles by this author

poignant drama about the horrors refugees face in the forests between belarus and poland. we follow, among others, a syrian family trying to flee into the eu and a polish border guard having qualms about the brutal treatment of refugees. the film caused a right wing backlash in poland. in the treacherous and swampy białowieża forest between belarus and poland, refugees from the middle east and africa are trapped. in this so called ‘green border’, they are caught up in desperation, hunger and fear. they are trying to reach the european union but find themselves pawns in a geopolitical crisis cynically engineered by belarusian dictator alexander lukashenko. in an attempt to provoke europe, lukashenko has welcomed refugees into belarus only to lure them to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the eu. the increasingly aggressive polish border force just throws them back over the barbed wire fence. navigating this hidden war, several lives intertwine. there’s julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life. jan, a young polish border guard whose wife is pregnant. and a syrian family spanning three generations trying to escape the war in their home country. thirty years after europa europa, three time oscar nominee agnieszka holland’s new feature challenges us to reflect on the moral choices that fall to ordinary people every day. after the film’s release, agnieszka holland received threats from right wing polish pundits and politicians, among whom the minister of justice. do you want to stay up to date with all movies that matter news, promotions and special screenings? sign up for our newsletter (in dutch). dark mode wij maken gebruik van cookies.lees meer hierover in onze privacy statement. wij maken gebruik van cookies.lees meer hierover in onze privacy statement. bezoekersstatistieken, websitebezoek en gebruik wordt gemeten en gebruikersgegevens worden anoniem verzameld. cookies that are necessary for signing up for newsletters or sending forms (e.g. grant applications, film submissions, volunteer registration). only functional session cookies are used so that a visitor remains logged in while shopping. klikgedrag, bekeken video’s en aangepaste voorkeuren worden verzameld. bezoekersinformatie en gebruikersgedrag wordt gebruikt voor advertenties. gegevens over de bezoeken van de gebruiker worden verzameld zoals welke pagina’s zijn gelezen. gegevens worden gebruikt om een reeks advertentieproducten te leveren van externe adverteerders. dit maakt delen en liken via social share buttons mogelijk. gegevens zoals browsegeschiedenis worden gebruikt om advertenties op partnerwebsites te tonen. advertentiecampagnes worden geanalyseerd en geoptimaliseerd en gedeeld met google.

(from left) jalal altawil, dalia naous, mohamad al rashi, talia ajjan, maja ostaszewska, director agnieszka holland, talia ajjan, behi djanati atai, katarzyna warzecha and tomasz wlosok pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film "green border" during the 80th edition of the venice film festival in venice, italy, on sept 5, 2023. (photo / invision / ap) venice   after the media was denied access to migrants desperately trying to cross the polish belarus border, director agnieszka holland decided to step in and make a wrenching movie about their plight. green border, which premieres at the venice film festival on tuesday, tells the story of refugees, charity workers, activists and border guards, whose lives intersect in the cold, swampy forests between the two east european countries. migrants started flocking to the border in 2021 after belarus opened travel agencies in the middle east offering a new unofficial route into europe   a move the european union said was designed to create a crisis. talia ajjan (left), director agnieszka holland (center), and talia ajjan pose for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film "green border" during the 80th edition of the venice film festival in venice, italy, on sept 5, 2023. (photo / invision / ap) it asks the eternal question. what would you do if someone came knocking on your door ... you can open your door, you can help, or you can decide to pretend not to see. maja ostaszewska, actress poland refused to let them cross, leaving hundreds stranded in a freezing no man's land, and temporarily imposed an exclusion zone, forbidding reporters and human rights groups from approaching the area to see what was going on. read more: minister: poland to send 2,000 troops to border with belarus "it was impossible for the documentary makers and the journalists to go there, but we can re create and do something that i know how to do, make a fictional film about events which are going on right now," holland said. "we had to try to capture it in all (its) possible complexity and give justice and a voice to those who have been silenced and are voiceless," she added. her black and white film shows a family from syria and a woman from afghanistan thrown back and forward across the border by brutal guards indifferent to their suffering, as activists struggle to try to bring them to safety. also read: eu allows poland, baltics to trim migrant rights at belarus border holland said the pushback called into doubt the european union's core values. polish border guards patrol the area of a metal wall on the border between poland and belarus, near kuznice, poland, on june 30, 2022. (photo / ap) "if we go further on this road ... the european union, europe, the continent of freedom, democracy (and) human rights will disappear. it will change into some kind of a fortress," she said. green border is highly critical of poland's rejection of migrants from the middle east and africa, contrasting it to the way the country welcomed in more than a million refugees fleeing russia’s special military operation in neighboring ukraine since february 2022. but the lead actress, maja ostaszewska, who herself went to the forests in 2021 to help the migrants, said the film was not making a political statement. also read: lebanon pm slams european parliament's decision on refugees "it asks the eternal question. what would you do if someone came knocking on your door ... you can open your door, you can help, or you can decide to pretend not to see," she said. green border is one of 23 movies competing for the golden lion award at the venice festival, which runs until sept 9.

green border, agnieszka holland’s devastating portrait of the refugee crisis unfolding at the poland belarus border, opens with an unexpected moment of calm. passengers on a plane are wished a “nice stay in belarus” by a voice echoing over the tannoy, while flight attendants hand out plastic wrapped roses. it’s little warning of what’s to follow when the syrian family on board arrive at the border hoping to cross smoothly into the european union   but swiftly find themselves at the epicentre of a political battlefield. it’s a scene that sums up the “absurdity of the situation” for the director: “you’ll see people in november, december   which is very cold in that area   in summer clothes and flip flops. [belarusian president] alexander lukashenko presented that track as the easy way [into the eu]. and not only easy way, but the civilised way.” instead, the dire conditions, hostility and brutality the refugees are faced with crescendo throughout green border. in retaliation against sanctions in 2021, lukashenko threatened to inundate the eu with “drugs and migrants”, encouraging refugees to enter by granting belarusian visas. poland, meanwhile, toughened its border policies, leading to a political tug of war between the neighbouring authorities, with refugees endlessly ferried back and forth across the border as a result. “suddenly they find themselves in the middle of hell without preparation,” says holland. even before it was finalised, the polish auteur’s stark black and white film ignited controversy: alerted via social media, right wing protesters descended on the production days before shooting wrapped. then, after green border scooped the special jury prize at venice film festival, justice minister zbigniew ziobro (admitting he hadn’t seen the film) flagrantly likened it to “nazi propaganda”   especially ironic since holland’s most revered films europa europa and in darkness were about the holocaust and she is the granddaughter of survivors. “the propaganda of the previous government against myself and our film was quite inefficient, because they did it in such an over aggressive way that the people didn’t believe it,” says holland. even so, she wasn’t completely surprised: “from the beginning with my cinematographer, we thought it would be some kind of guerilla shoot.” filmed within a narrow 24 day window, the preparation which led up to production was rigorous, holland speaking with all figures involved   minus politicians (“i knew exactly what they would say”). to encompass the many shades of the story, the film is divided into five parts, told from the point of view of refugees, border guards (who spoke clandestinely with holland) and the activists trying to bring an end to the situation. while fictional, every event in green border   including, at the apex of its horror, a pregnant woman being bowled over the metres high metal barricade by polish soldiers   was corroborated by two sources. holland opted to shoot in black and white to reinforce the film’s documentary rawness, “but at the same time make it timeless, like a movie from the second world war,” she says. “for a lot of the inhabitants of the area, they’ve been feeling like it was suddenly a journey to the past.” in directing the likes of europa europa, holland studied the minute shifts in public opinion and values in the 20th century which led to the persecution of jews and other marginalised groups in europe. concerning echoes can be found in the pattern of propaganda and legislation today, with the newly elected donald tusk government, which holland initially supported, now adopting an anti immigration stance. “the new government who we’d been hoping would add a stronger humanitarian aspect to the situation didn’t,” says holland. “they changed when they realised they could use migrants [as] political gold, especially before elections. because there were a lot of hopes around the new democratic government, half of the people who had been supporting the opposition at the time when the crisis started suddenly accepted we must be cruel, and we must have victims, because we are defending our borders.” since holland’s film was released, the walls have only been fortified, making it more perilous for families with children to cross. when a polish soldier was stabbed at the border just days before we speak, soldiers were granted permission to use arms “with conditions which are very vague”, and the director was scapegoated by “the same politicians who had been praising me seven months ago, [who] are now telling me i am responsible with our film for the death.” despite the still deteriorating situation, holland sees turning her lens to these truths as her moral duty and the plight of refugees as key to understanding the human condition. “[war] is a brutal change which is especially painful, but also very dramatic and shows us the fragility of our values and of our work. i cannot accept that i am not using that tool of expression to speak about the things which i think are crucial. i know that one film or even 50 films and the statements of the intellectuals and so on will not stop the fall, but we need cassandras,” she says, referring to the trojan prophet doomed never to be believed. “if not, we will never understand what’s going on.” green border is out in uk cinemas now.

agnieszka holland’s green border is a timely fiction about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in europe. the title refers to the swampy forests   a key location of the drama   found at the border between poland and belarus. this is the place through which an influx of migrants (mostly from the middle east and africa) risk their lives attempting to reach the european union. caught in a web of misinformation, interests and abuse, they are tossed from poland to belarus as pawns in a geopolitical game. shot in black and white and divided into chapters, the film follows the crossing paths of a syrian family, an afghan woman, a soon to be father working at the polish border, a group of young activists trying to assist the migrants and a psychologist whose life takes an unexpected turn. among moments of despair, tenderness, impotence, awakening, guilt and violence, holland offers a harsh critique of how political powers are mishandling this delicate situation   but her main focus is always on the interpersonal relations, on how the lives of those involved in this crisis are affected and sometimes, crucially altered. this kaleidoscopic film is ultimately structured around one central question: what are you willing to do?   cristina álvarez lópez this content is available after accepting the marketing cookies. with the surprise film, we’ll keep you in the dark until the curtains open. moscas is a gripping, dark thriller with its claws firmly dug into reality. rookie constable kumaresan finds himself entangled in armed resistance against the government’s mining interests. join a group of curious and connected film enthusiasts. make independent film, new insights and inspiration accessible to everyone.

agnieszka holland’s green border tells story of brutal treatment of a syrian family trying to get to europe a prize winning film sharply critical of the polish government’s attitude to refugees has opened at cinemas across the country, after being attacked in the run up to its release by members of the polish government. green border, a feature film by the celebrated director agnieszka holland, won the special jury prize in venice last month. it tells the story of a syrian family trying to get to europe via the belarus poland border in 2021, and the brutal treatment they receive at the hands of polish border guards. the justice minister, zbigniew ziobro, compared the film to a nazi propaganda movie “showing poles as bandits and murderers”, despite admitting he had not watched it. the deputy interior minister, błażej poboży, called the film a “disgusting libel” that is “harmful to the polish state and poles”. in a telephone interview, holland said the venom of the government reaction has taken her by surprise. “i expected waves of hate and propaganda and denial, but instead of waves we have a tsunami. i didn’t expect that within a few days, three or four times, the ministers of justice, interior, president of the country and numerous others would be attacking me on such a level of hate and aggression,” she said. holland said she felt the issue of migration “is one of the most important challenges for the future of europe and the world”, and she was motivated to make the film by anger over how the government responded to poland becoming a migration route two years ago. “i saw that the authorities tried to organise a laboratory of lies and violence, and take political advantage of the misery of people,” she said. she casted for the refugee characters in france and belgium, among actors who had become refugees. the film has become a key talking point in an increasingly vitriolic campaign ahead of a parliamentary elections next month. the nationalist ruling coalition, led by the law and justice (pis) party, has focused its campaign on migration, and on the wall it constructed on the border with belarus to keep out refugees. speaking of the film’s positive reception among some poles, the prime minister, mateusz morawiecki, said: “this red carpet is only a preview of the red carpet that po [the main opposition party] is rolling out for illegal immigrants, a red carpet that threatens to destabilise our homeland.” holland said it was not deliberate that the film opened in the weeks before the election, but said she hoped that after watching it viewers would reconsider their views about people stranded at the border. “it’s different you know, you see some interviews and documentary clips, and then if you see everything with your own eyes and identify with full characters,” she said. activist groups say at least 49 people have died and 200 are missing since the crisis began at the border in 2021, and people continue to die at the border even now. one character in the film is a border guard who is horrified and traumatised by the things he is forced to do and attitudes of his colleagues. “i consider the border guards also as victims, they have been forced to break the law and do things they are not trained for,” said holland. poboży said the government had commissioned “a specially prepared clip that shows the elements that were missing in this film”, praising the work of border guards, and would ask cinemas to show it before screenings of the film. it is not clear whether cinemas will comply with the request. president andrzej duda also criticised the film, suggesting it would have been better to make a film about the polish response to russia’s war in ukraine. he said: “millions of poles opened their hearts and welcomed ukrainians into their homes. how do those people feel today when they see that a renowned director, instead of making a film about poles opening their hearts … is making a film slandering poles and poland?” the end of the film makes the explicit comparison between the two refugee crises, and the different receptions granted to ukrainians and to the much smaller number of darker skinned refugees from africa and the middle east received at the border. the film shows the hellish reality of so called “pushbacks” in the forest, where belarusian soldiers force people to keep trying to get into poland, and polish border guards ignore their asylum applications and dump them back across the border into belarus. the belarusian dictator, alexander lukashenko, has been widely accused of facilitating the refugee route through his country in order to put pressure on poland and the eu. green border is not a subtle film, and it subjects the viewer to numerous scenes of violence that are shown in detail rather than merely implied. “i decided not to be discreet and to make some kind of parabolic stylistic choices, i wanted people to experience what those people are experiencing who are going though it, both the victims and the soldiers,” said holland.

poland | 2023 | 147 min. | agnieszka holland july 5   11, 2024 legendary filmmaker agnieszka holland won the golden lion at the 2023 venice film festival for this ground level examination of the refugee crisis at the titular exclusion zone between belarus and poland, seen through the eyes of a syrian family fleeing their war torn home. green border depicts a family of syrian refugees as they hope to cross the border from belarus into poland to escape the violence of their homeland and eventually connect with relatives living in sweden. they board a plane to belarus, comforted by belarusian president lukashenko’s promise of a safe trip through his country to the polish border, but this promise is designed to amass a crowd at the border to frustrate poland and the european union, who do not welcome the misled refugees. while the family makes their arduous journey, the film pivots to the story of polish psychologist julia (maja ostaszewska), who experiences a political awakening that leads her to join an activist group that aids refugees camping out in the forest at the border. it is here where the family, accompanied by an afghan english instructor, leïla (behi djanati atai), encounters julia. the film then boldly shifts focus to jan (tomasz wlosok), a polish border guard whose pregnant wife refuses to acknowledge his participation in the horrific treatment of the refugees actions that his captain explicitly endorses until she witnesses a video of it. whereas lukashenko sought to reduce syrian refugees to political pawns devoid of personhood, green border asserts the humanity of diverse people affected by the crisis, bestowing each with their own motives, dreams, and fears.  angel cetorelli for more information: info@siff.net | © copyright 2023 siff. all rights reserved. | privacy policy | designed by zango creative siff is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization. tax id 91 1489660.

a family of refugees from syria, an english teacher from afghanistan and a border guard all meet on the polish belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in belarus.a family of refugees from syria, an english teacher from afghanistan and a border guard all meet on the polish belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in belarus.a family of refugees from syria, an english teacher from afghanistan and a border guard all meet on the polish belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in belarus. © 1990 2025 by imdb.com, inc.

at the border between poland and belarus is the place through which an influx of migrants risk their lives attempting to reach the european union. caught in a web of misinformation, interests and abuse, they are tossed as pawns in a geopolitical game. this website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience. find out more or adjust your settings. this website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. strictly necessary cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. if you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. this means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. cinecitta en ticketlab use analytical cookies to measure website visits and improve the website. we need your consent to place these cookies. by clicking 'enabled', you give cinecitta and ticketlab permission to place analytical cookies. if you click 'disabled', these cookies will not be placed. you can change this choice again via 'settings'. want to learn more about how we use cookies? please refer to ticketlab privacy policy. please enable strictly necessary cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

listeners: top listeners: english channel 01 if english is your language, or a language you understand, this is your channel ! italian channel 02 se l’italiano è la tua lingua, o una lingua che conosci, questo è il tuo canale! extra channel 03 fred film radio channel used to broadcast press conferences, seminars, workshops, master classes, etc. german channel 04 wenn ihre sprache deutsch ist, oder sie diese sprache verstehen, dann ist das ihr kanal ! polish channel 05 spanish channel 06 si tu idioma es el español, o es un idioma que conoces, ¡este es tu canal! french channel 07 si votre langue maternelle est le français, ou si vous le comprenez, voici votre chaine ! portuguese channel 08 romanian channel 09 dacă vorbiţi sau înţelegeţi limba română, acesta este canalul dumneavoastră! slovenian channel 10 entertainment channel 11 fred film radio channel used to broadcast music and live shows from film festivals. bulgarian channel 16 ако българският е вашият роден език, или го разбирате, това е вашият канал ! croatian channel 17 ako je hrvatski tvoj jezik, ili ga jednostavno razumiješ, ovo je tvoj kanal! latvian channel 18 danish channel 19 hungarian channel 20 dutch channel 21 greek channel 22 czech channel 23 lithuanian channel 24 slovak channel 25 icelandic channel 26 ef þú talar, eða skilur íslensku, er þetta rásin þín ! industry channel 27 fred film radio channel completely dedicated to industry professionals. education channel 28 fred film radio channel completely dedicated to film literacy. sardu channel 29 si su sardu est sa limba tua, custu est su canale chi ti deghet! “conversation with” at the 20th marrakech iff, interview with actor willem dafoe bénédicte prot mostra del cinema di venezia todayseptember 6, 2023 "green border", interview with director agnieszka holland david martos interview during the 80th edition of venice international film festival with agnieszka holland, director of the film in competition “green border”. it depicts the difficult and painful situation lived by syrian and afghan refugees at the polish bielorrusian border while trying to reach european union soil. the director explains to fred her reasons to make this film and the political commitment behind it, since she wants to make her point against the polish government encouraging the abuse and violence inflicted on these refugees. holland remembers that this is her first entry in venice competition in decades (last and first was ‘olivier olivier’ in 1992). “green border” explains the humanitarian crisis of the syrian and afghan refugees from four different perspectives: the own refugees, the guards in the border patrol, the volunteers that try to help the victims and the civilian population, divided by the actions taken by the government. in the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so called “green border” between belarus and poland, refugees from the middle east and africa trying to reach the european union are trapped in a geopolitical crisis cynically engineered by belarusian dictator alexander lukashenko. in an attempt to provoke europe, refugees are lured to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the eu. pawns in this hidden war, the lives of julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life, jan, a young border guard, and a syrian family intertwine. 30 years after europa europa, three time oscar nominee agnieszka holland’s poignant new feature zielona granica opens our eyes, speaks to the heart, and challenges us to reflect on the moral choices that fall to ordinary people every day. written by: david martos guest film festival interview mostra del cinema di venezia todayseptember 5, 2023 interview with kirk petruccelli, production designer of "the caine mutiny court martial", a new version of the classical play directed for the screen by the late william friedkin interview mostra del cinema di venezia todayseptember 2, 2023 nehir tuna, director of "yurt", discusses the challenges of making a personal and impactful film. director nehir tuna brings his personal experiences to the screen, highlighting the isolation and pressure faced by ahmet as he navigates the expectations of his … interview mostra del cinema di venezia todayseptember 1, 2023 explore the complexities of hungarian youth in gábor reisz's 'explanation for everything,' a film that defies political stereotypes. interview mostra del cinema di venezia todayseptember 1, 2023 "hollywood gate" a former american military base now in the hands of the taliban. interview festa del cinema di roma todayfebruary 5, 2025 3 we live in time by john crowley with florence pugh and andrew garfield is finally coming out in italian cinemas news festival de cannes todayfebruary 4, 2025 juliette binoche will preside over the jury of the 78th festival de cannes, exactly 40 years after her debut on la croisette. interview european film market (efm) todayfebruary 3, 2025 the berlinale pro* director tanja meissner introduces the concept of the berlinale pro* and the 2025 initiatives: the efm   distributor award and innovation hub interview trieste film festival todayjanuary 23, 2025 1 wishing on a star by peter kerekes is back screening in italy, in trieste and the fvg region where it was shot © 2023 emerald clear ltd   all rights reserved. accessibility tools
what to watch supported by critic’s pick agnieszka holland focuses on the polish belarusian border as a syrian family tries to make it to the european union. by manohla dargis when you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. the fury that radiates off agnieszka holland’s “green border” is so intense that you can almost feel it encasing you in its heat. a brutal, deeply affecting drama set against the migrant crisis in europe, it is the latest from this great polish director, a filmmaker whose eclectic résumé includes several films about the holocaust, a romance starring the young leonardo dicaprio as arthur rimbaud and episodes of the hbo series “the wire” and “treme.” one of the pleasures of holland’s work is that you never know exactly what to expect; all that is certain is that it will always be worth watching and that, for her, art is a moral imperative. a fiction firmly rooted in fact, “green border” dramatizes the crisis through different players   migrants, guards and activists   converged in and around the border of poland and belarus. there, in the so called exclusion zone, an area that’s off limits to most, migrants largely from the middle east and from africa try to enter the european union via poland. in this haunted, contested, dangerously swampy slice of land, men, women and children, families and friends, struggle to traverse national boundaries while evading and at times enduring violence from armed patrols. divided into numbered sections, the movie opens on a crowded plane (it seems to be from turkey) where the discreet, hovering camera pans across different passengers, their faces masked and unmasked, anxious and introspective. the camera soon settles on a tense syrian husband and wife, bashir and amina (jalal altawil and dalia naous), who are traveling with his father (mohamad al rashi as grandpa) and the couple’s three children. when their eldest, a sweet preadolescent boy named nur (taim ajjan), asks the woman seated between him and the window if they can trade places so he can take in the view, this small circle opens. enter leila (behi djanati atai), a middle aged afghan gutsily making the journey alone. it’s crucial to holland’s convictions, i think, that the first plane passengers you see aren’t actually members of this little group. holland doesn’t go in for overexplanation in her movies. rather, during this one’s brief, minimalist title sequence   it opens with an inviting aerial view of a lushly green forest that soon turns black and white as “green border” materializes onscreen   the words “october 2021 europe” appear, followed by “1. the family.” (the black and white palette remains, which fits this manichaean world even as it points to the past.) as the movie then cuts from one passenger to the next, from young to old and from adult to child, it soon seems evident that, for holland, the freighted word family isn’t limited to a chosen few. holland sets a brisk pace in “green border” that begins rapidly accelerating once the plane touches down. after it lands   the flight attendants hand out roses to the passengers, welcoming them to belarus   bashir’s family piles into a van that his brother in sweden has hired. the family plans to join him; for her part, leila, who hops in too, is hoping to stay in poland.