To see at the cinema: The Green Border… Why did this film cause controversy in Poland?

To see at the cinema: The Green Border… Why did this film cause controversy in Poland?

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After fleeing the war, a Syrian family embarks on a grueling journey to reach Sweden. At the border between Belarus and Poland, synonymous with entering Europe, they find themselves with dozens of other families in a swampy area at the mercy of soldiers using violent methods.

They gradually realize that they are unwitting hostages of a situation beyond them, where everyone – border guards, humanitarian activists, local residents – is trying to play their part…

When politics gets involved

On September 9, 2023, the jury of the Venice Film Festival, led by Damien Chazelle, will award the Golden Lion to Poor Creatures by Yorgos Lanthimos and award prizes to I, Captain Matteo Garrone (Best Director and Best Newcomer for Seydoux Sarri), Priscilla. Sofia Coppola (Best Actress for Kaley Spahn) or The Green Border by Agnieszka Holland.

Nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 1992, Europe Thanks to Europe, the Polish director was awarded the Special Jury Prize for this drama, where color gives way to black and white from the very first seconds of this migrant story, where we follow the different. point of view.

The then 74-year-old filmmaker, to whom we also owe episodes of The Wire, Treme and House of Cards, had no idea that his return to the country would be anything but triumphant. Hours before its theatrical release in Poland on September 22, 2023, Green Border (the title referring to the color of the trees in the border area) is making waves on a political level.

A disgraceful and disgusting pamphlet that participates in what can be described as the Polish industry of disgust

National Conservative Party Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, according to comments reported by the PAP agency, objected to what he believed to be “Disgraceful and Disgusting Pamphlet Participating in the Polish Disgust Industry”and the purpose of which, according to him, will be “Insulting the Polish uniform, insulting the Poles, making the honest defense of the Polish border, the border of the European Union, a crime.”

The comments refer to a segment of the feature film, which focuses on border guards trained to deal with migrants (whom one of their superiors describes as potential terrorists). An illustration of the anti-immigration policy of Mateusz Morawiecki’s government due to the presence of a soldier who is less convinced by these speeches and orders.

At a meeting of the National Security and Defense Committee on Wednesday, September 21, 2023, the Ministers of Defence, Interior and Justice confronted the film and passed a resolution. “Protecting the reputation of soldiers in the armed forces and other services who provide border security every day.”

Complaint for defamation

A resolution which “It makes perfect sense in the context of the presentation of Agnieszka Holland’s film. A film that attacks the honor and reputation of Poland, the soldiers of the Polish army, the border guards and the Polish police.”– adds the Minister of Defense, while his justice colleague went even further.

“During the Third Reich, the Germans produced propaganda films showing Poles as bandits and murderers. Today we have Agnieszka Holland.” who, of the Jewish faith, then threatened to sue for libel unless they apologized to him.

“This film is not propaganda, I made it to reach people who have an open heart and conscience” Protects key stakeholders release. “It requires confronting something in cinema that is difficult, a difficult film to watch.” Because it is fully embedded in reality, with temporal and geographical markers that sometimes give it documentary qualities.

This film is not propaganda, I made it to reach people who have an open heart and conscience

The action of the feature film takes place in October 2021. There are masks and Covid is repeatedly mentioned, as is Kylian Mbappé or Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski. If leaders are never named when it comes to government, it is not difficult to guess who is the target of these cases.

Especially since Agnieszka Holland is not her first attempt when it comes to condemning the authoritarian excesses of law and justice. But the director claims that he did not make a political pamphlet. Although very harsh and uncompromising, Green Border aims to report on a complex situation from different angles, while warning against the resurgence of nationalism in Europe.

And he found himself, in spite of himself, in the shooting of the election campaign in Poland. Here again, the filmmaker claims that the release date should remain on the festival calendar, not the October 15, 2023 legislative elections, where the issue of migration was central. In this context, therefore, the ruling party considered it a pamphlet against it.

Agnieszka Holland at the Venice Film Festival

Unlike the jury at the Venice Film Festival, who watched Green Border all the way through, the minister apparently made his baseless and slanderous remarks without having seen the film.– The Federation of European Directors responded with an open letter.

“His comments are an insidious form of propaganda”concludes the Federation, which also welcomes “The director’s strength and courage against him and the film amid the horrific attacks in Poland.” Also online attacks and abuse could see Agnieszka Holland lose her majority in the legislative elections last October.

A few months after this turmoil, The Green Border is now showing in French cinemas from February 7th. And what he tells you, with force and nuance, as much as it will make you angry, even if he informs you in a more current epilogue.

Source: Allocine

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