© Agata Kubis
In collaborazione con / In collaboration with: Kamila Tarabura, Katarzyna Warzecha (regia / direction)
Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko, Agnieszka Holland
Fotografia / Photography: Tomasz Naumiuk
Montaggio / Editing: Pavel Hrdlička
Musica / Music: Frédéric Vercheval
Suono / Sound: Roman Dymny
Scenografia / Art Director: Katarzyna Jędrzejczyk
Costumi / Costume Designer: Katarzyna Lewińska
Interpreti / Cast: Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi Djanati Atai, Tomasz Włosok, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous
Produzione / Produced by: Metro Films
In associazione con / In association with: Astute Films
Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Blick Productions, Marlene Film Production, Beluga Tree, Canal+ Poland, dFlights, Mazovia Warsaw Film Fund, Czech Television
Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Eurimages, Czech Film Fund, CNC
Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: Films Boutique
Distribuzione per l’Italia / Distributed in Italy by: Movies Inspired
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. Green Border premiered in competition at the latest Venice Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize.
“We live in a world where it takes great imagination and courage to face all the challenges of modern times. The social media revolution and artificial intelligence have made it increasingly difficult for genuine voices to be heard. In my opinion, there is no point in engaging in art if one doesn’t fight for that voice, if one doesn’t fight to ask questions about important, painful, sometimes unsolvable issues that put us before dramatic choices. This is exactly the situation that’s happening on the Polish-Belarusian border.” (A. Holland)
Agnieszka Holland
Film director and scriptwriter, one of Poland’s most prominent filmmakers, Agnieszka Holland was born in 1948 in Warsaw. After graduating from FAMU in Prague in 1971 she began her film career working with Krzysztof Zanussi as assistant director and Andrzej Wajda as her mentor. In 1981, just before the declaration of the state of emergency in Poland, Holland emigrated to France. She collaborated with her friend Krzysztof Kieślowski on the screenplay of his trilogy, Three Colours. The Secret Garden (1993) is Holland’s first movie made in US for a major studio with a broad American public in mind. She also directed several episodes of many notable TV series, including The Wire, Jag, Cold Case, Treme and House of Cards. Throughout her work life the filmmaker was nominated for the Academy Award 3 times – in 1985 for Angry Harvest, in 1990 for Europa Europa and 2012 for In Darkness. In 2021 Holland was elected President of the European Film Academy.
Selected filmography
1978 Aktorzy prowincjonalni (Provincial Actors / Attori di provincia); Premi / Awards: Cannes FF – Premio della critica internazionale / International Critics Prize 1980 Gorączka. Dzieje jednego pocisku (Fever / La febbre) 1985 Bittere Ernte (Angry Harvest) 1988 To Kill a Priest (Un prete da uccidere) 1990 Europa Europa 1992 Olivier, Olivier 1993 The Secret Garden (Il giardino segreto) 1995 Total Eclipse (Poeti dall’inferno) 1999 The Third Miracle (Il terzo miracolo) 2001 Julie Walking Home 2004-2008 The Wire 3 ep. Serie TV / TV series 2004-2009 Cold Case (Cold Case – Delitti irrisolti) 4 ep. Serie TV / TV series 2006 Copying Beethoven (Io e Beethoven); Premi / Awards: San Sebastian IFF – Premio CEC al Miglior film / CEC Award for Best Film 2009 Janosik. Prawdziwa historia 2010-2013 Treme 5 ep. Serie TV / TV series 2012 W ciemności (In Darkness) b House of Cards (House of Cards – Gli intrighi del potere) 4 ep. Serie TV / TV series 2017 Pokot (Spoor); Premi / Awards: Berlinale – Premio Alfred Bauer / Alfred Bauer Prize 2019 Mr. Jones (L’ombra di Stalin) 2020 Sarlatán (Charlatan – Il potere dell’erborista) b Zielona Granica (Green Border); Premi / Awards: Venezia, Mostra del cinema – Premio speciale della giuria / Venice FF – Special Jury Prize
