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Drama

Green Border

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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.

Release Date : 2023-09-22

Language :ArabicEnglishFrenchPolish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro FilmsBeluga TreeBlick ProductionsMarlene Film ProductionMetro LatodFlightsAstute FilmsCanal+ PolskaMazowiecki i Warszawski Fundusz FilmowyČeská televizeEurimages

Production Country : BelgiumCzech RepublicFrancePolandUnited States of America

Alternative Titles : Green Border

Cast

Jalal Altawil

Character Name : Bashir

Original Name : Jalal Altawil

Gender : Male

Maja Ostaszewska

Character Name : Julia

Original Name : Maja Ostaszewska

Gender : Female

Behi Djanati Atai

Character Name : Leila

Original Name : Behi Djanati Atai

Gender : Female

Tomasz Włosok

Character Name : Jan

Original Name : Tomasz Włosok

Gender : Male

Mohamad Al Rashi

Character Name : Grandfather

Original Name : Mohamad Al Rashi

Gender : Male

Dalia Naous

Character Name : Amina

Original Name : Dalia Naous

Gender : Male

Jaśmina Polak

Character Name : 'Żuku'

Original Name : Jaśmina Polak

Gender : Female

Monika Frajczyk

Character Name : Marta

Original Name : Monika Frajczyk

Gender : Female

Maciej Stuhr

Character Name : Bogdan

Original Name : Maciej Stuhr

Gender : Male

Agata Kulesza

Character Name : Basia

Original Name : Agata Kulesza

Gender : Female

Aboubakr Bensaïhi

Character Name : Ahmed

Original Name : Aboubakr Bensaïhi

Gender : Male

Michał Zieliński

Character Name : Sasza

Original Name : Michał Zieliński

Gender : Male

Joely Mbundu

Character Name : African Woman

Original Name : Joely Mbundu

Gender : Male

Malwina Buss

Character Name : Kasia

Original Name : Malwina Buss

Gender : Female

Piotr Stramowski

Character Name : Maciek

Original Name : Piotr Stramowski

Gender : Male

Marta Stalmierska

Character Name : Ula

Original Name : Marta Stalmierska

Gender : Female

Sandra Korzeniak

Character Name : Doctor at the Hospital

Original Name : Sandra Korzeniak

Gender : Female

Magdalena Popławska

Character Name : Bogdan's wife

Original Name : Magdalena Popławska

Gender : Female

Talia Ajjan

Character Name : Ghalia

Original Name : Talia Ajjan

Gender : Male

Taim Ajjan

Character Name : Nur

Original Name : Taim Ajjan

Gender : Male

Sebabastian Svaton

Character Name : Mahir

Original Name : Sebabastian Svaton

Gender : Male

Piotr Połtowicz

Character Name : Pilot (voice)

Original Name : Piotr Połtowicz

Gender : Male

Valentina Sizonenko

Character Name : Flight Attendant

Original Name : Valentina Sizonenko

Gender : Male

Noah Meskina

Character Name : Bashir's Brother

Original Name : Noah Meskina

Gender : Male

Jan Aleksandrowicz-Krasko

Character Name : Driver on the Airport

Original Name : Jan Aleksandrowicz-Krasko

Gender : Male

Dzianis Tarasenka

Character Name :

Original Name : Dzianis Tarasenka

Gender : Male

Wojciech Kałużyński

Character Name : Farmer

Original Name : Wojciech Kałużyński

Gender : Male

Alan Al Murtatha

Character Name : Karim

Original Name : Alan Al Murtatha

Gender : Male

Perwar Tariq

Character Name : Hassan

Original Name : Perwar Tariq

Gender : Male

Maciej Stępniak

Character Name :

Original Name : Maciej Stępniak

Gender : Male

Maciej Kosiacki

Character Name : 'Kosa'

Original Name : Maciej Kosiacki

Gender : Male

Davit Baroyan

Character Name : Refugee in the Truck

Original Name : Davit Baroyan

Gender : Male

Tinatin Jabanashvili

Character Name : Woman in the Truck

Original Name : Tinatin Jabanashvili

Gender : Male

Sebastian Królikowski

Character Name : Polish Soldier

Original Name : Sebastian Królikowski

Gender : Male

Jan Sałasiński

Character Name : Polish Soldier

Original Name : Jan Sałasiński

Gender : Male

Joecey Mbundu

Character Name : African

Original Name : Joecey Mbundu

Gender : Male

Zuyee Helal

Character Name : Afghan

Original Name : Zuyee Helal

Gender : Male

Bartosz Picher

Character Name :

Original Name : Bartosz Picher

Gender : Male

Roman Skorovskyi

Character Name :

Original Name : Roman Skorovskyi

Gender : Male

Pavel Gorodnitskij

Character Name :

Original Name : Pavel Gorodnitskij

Gender : Male

Elie Zeitouny

Character Name : Jamal

Original Name : Elie Zeitouny

Gender : Male

Helena Ganjalyan

Character Name : Pregnant Farah

Original Name : Helena Ganjalyan

Gender : Male

Katarzyna Obidzińska

Character Name : Ola

Original Name : Katarzyna Obidzińska

Gender : Male

Sławomir Holland

Character Name : Karczewski

Original Name : Sławomir Holland

Gender : Male

Stanisław Cywka

Character Name : Jacek

Original Name : Stanisław Cywka

Gender : Male

Robert Czerwiński

Character Name : Krzysiek

Original Name : Robert Czerwiński

Gender : Male

Marta Ziętkowska

Character Name : Officer Pawelec

Original Name : Marta Ziętkowska

Gender : Male

Joanna Gonschorek

Character Name : Ginecologist

Original Name : Joanna Gonschorek

Gender : Female

Mirosław Kropielnicki

Character Name : Sylwester

Original Name : Mirosław Kropielnicki

Gender : Male

Usman Sediqi

Character Name : boy

Original Name : Usman Sediqi

Gender : Male

Jan Litvinovitch

Character Name :

Original Name : Jan Litvinovitch

Gender : Male

Dagmara Brodziak

Character Name :

Original Name : Dagmara Brodziak

Gender : Female

Anna Biernacik

Character Name : Stefka

Original Name : Anna Biernacik

Gender : Male

Maria Złonkiewicz

Character Name : Activist

Original Name : Maria Złonkiewicz

Gender : Male

Nadim Suleiman

Character Name : Translator

Original Name : Nadim Suleiman

Gender : Male

Szczepan Kajfasz

Character Name : Medician

Original Name : Szczepan Kajfasz

Gender : Male

Paweł Łukasiewicz

Character Name : Medician

Original Name : Paweł Łukasiewicz

Gender : Male

Agnieszka Racka

Character Name : Medician

Original Name : Agnieszka Racka

Gender : Male

Mikołaj Łaski

Character Name : Medician

Original Name : Mikołaj Łaski

Gender : Male

Adel Boubir

Character Name : Refugee

Original Name : Adel Boubir

Gender : Male

Marcin Osiadacz

Character Name :

Original Name : Marcin Osiadacz

Gender : Male

Hanna Turnau

Character Name :

Original Name : Hanna Turnau

Gender : Female

Tomasz Krzemieniecki

Character Name :

Original Name : Tomasz Krzemieniecki

Gender : Male

Oleg Garbuz

Character Name :

Original Name : Oleg Garbuz

Gender : Male

Ewa Wirtwein

Character Name : Old Lady on the Road

Original Name : Ewa Wirtwein

Gender : Male

Mateusz Janicki

Character Name : Policeman

Original Name : Mateusz Janicki

Gender : Male

Agnieszka Frankel

Character Name : Policewoman

Original Name : Agnieszka Frankel

Gender : Male

Magdalena Duszak

Character Name : Young Policewoman

Original Name : Magdalena Duszak

Gender : Male

Michał Wawrykiewicz

Character Name :

Original Name : Michał Wawrykiewicz

Gender : Male

Igor Korus

Character Name :

Original Name : Igor Korus

Gender : Male

Jonathan Louhoua

Character Name : African Teenager

Original Name : Jonathan Louhoua

Gender : Male

Georges-Anthony Van Keer

Character Name : African Teenager

Original Name : Georges-Anthony Van Keer

Gender : Male

Gabriel Ossotchenho

Character Name : African Teenager

Original Name : Gabriel Ossotchenho

Gender : Male

James Cyiza

Character Name : African Teenager

Original Name : James Cyiza

Gender : Male

Ada Cyndler

Character Name : Mother

Original Name : Ada Cyndler

Gender : Male

Mikołaj Cyndler

Character Name : Boy

Original Name : Mikołaj Cyndler

Gender : Male

Grzegorz Gromek

Character Name : Tow Truck Driver

Original Name : Grzegorz Gromek

Gender : Male

Grzegorz Grochowski

Character Name :

Original Name : Grzegorz Grochowski

Gender : Male

Klementyna Lamort De Gail

Character Name : Bogdan's Daughter

Original Name : Klementyna Lamort De Gail

Gender : Male

Tomasz Jaskowski

Character Name : Bogdan's Son

Original Name : Tomasz Jaskowski

Gender : Male

Milan Šteindler

Character Name : Jindra

Original Name : Milan Šteindler

Gender : Male

Oksana Cherkashyna

Character Name : Ukrainian Refugee

Original Name : Oksana Cherkashyna

Gender : Female

Olena Leonenko

Character Name : Ukrainian Refugee

Original Name : Olena Leonenko

Gender : Female

Sergei Berezhko

Character Name : Ukrainian Refugee

Original Name : Sergei Berezhko

Gender : Male

Marii Berezhko

Character Name : Ukrainian Refugee

Original Name : Marii Berezhko

Gender : Male

Veronika Berezhko

Character Name : Ukrainian Refugee

Original Name : Veronika Berezhko

Gender : Male

Kalina Siudek

Character Name :

Original Name : Kalina Siudek

Gender : Male

Matylda Stuhr

Character Name :

Original Name : Matylda Stuhr

Gender : Male

Agata Kuśpit

Character Name :

Original Name : Agata Kuśpit

Gender : Male

Julia Zagórska

Character Name :

Original Name : Julia Zagórska

Gender : Male

Marianna Wierzchosławska

Character Name :

Original Name : Marianna Wierzchosławska

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-06-22

This is the second film I've seen this week with Tomasz Wlosok. Earlier, he was in Julia von Heinz's tragic-comedy "Treasure" (2024) with a far lighter and fluffier role than he has here, as a Polish border guard. He is part of a team charged with repelling refugees trying to cross into the EU from Belarus. On that front, we are introduced to travellers who have been lulled into thinking their flight from Syria and Afghanistan will be a dawdle. An expensive one, yes, but a straightforward flight to Minsk on a comfortable Turkish aircraft then a bus to Poland thence on to wherever. Sadly, they soon realise that their bought-and-paid-for journey merely inserts them into a game of human table tennis between the military on both sides of a border - only it's coiled barbed wire rather than a net. It doesn't matter what their predicament - injured, pregnant, old, vulnerable - they are systematically robbed, starved and dehydrated. There is some hope for them, though, as Polish activists try to help them and get them on the register for asylum. That, however, requires that they be reported to the police and then to the guard and so we are back with handsome Tomasz ("Jan") again. Their journey is riddled with peril and that's harrowing at times, but somehow not quite so difficult to stomach as the behaviour of the people in uniform bending or breaking the rules from above to ensure a minimum of these people ever made it past the forests of the 250-odd miles of border. Politics plays it's part too - the government of one nation accused of using these people as "live bullets", the other of sowing seeds of dissent within an EU where rising nationalism is polarising societal attitudes. In the end, it is a really rather brutal assessment of human nature at it's worst whilst also illustrating just what lengths decent folks will go to, and the risks they will take, to do what they feel is right. The intensity of the camerawork - especially in the woods, and the audio editing give this an added piquancy that makes their plight all the more terrifying, frustrating and deadly. I didn't quite get the point of the anecdote at the end. I'm not sure that concluding assertion took into consideration the historic cultural and traditional links between neighbouring Poland and Ukraine as distinct from those fleeing from Syria, but it does offer us considerable food for thought on what is the right thing to do without imposing director Holland's personal view too overwhelmingly on the issues faced by countries that might be legitimately concerned about the impact on their nation, economy and culture of large scale migration. It's not an easy film to watch, it's violent and nasty - but compelling.

B

Brent Marchant

@Brent_Marchant

2024-08-24

Escaping tyranny to find a better life is a process frequently riddled with challenges, frustrations and desperate measures. So, when refugees hear about an allegedly credible way to more easily escape their circumstances and make their way to freedom, they often enthusiastically jump at the chance to avail themselves of the opportunity. Such was the case in 2021 with the supposedly unblemished promise accorded the “green border” crossing from Belarus into Poland, a port of entry into the European Union said to offer a comparatively less problematic escape route for those fleeing the Middle East and Africa. However, given that neither nation wanted to deal with a flood of refugees at the time, combined with swirling rumors that the new arrivals posed a serious security threat to the well-being of a conservatively governed Poland, the border patrol guards in both countries engaged in an aggressive campaign of brutally rounding up and unceremoniously dumping escapees back and forth on each other’s territory, repeatedly subjecting those caught in the middle to inhumane treatment and unspeakable perils with each switch, a practice little known outside the region at the time. This latest offering from acclaimed writer-director Agnieszka Holland sheds light on what happened during this turbulent time, a troubling scenario that, despite some significant reforms in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine War, still continues to this day. The film explores this scenario through four interwoven story threads showing the impact of the green border on the lives of refugees, border guards, activists seeking to assist refugees in transit, and everyday citizens looking to make a difference in Polish government policies and practices. The picture’s superbly crafted narrative and poignant screenplay provide an excellent, in-depth examination of the connections involving these four constituencies through a well-integrated combination of engaging, emotion-filled sequences and its captivating, edge-of-the-seat treatment of the principals’ diverse yet linked experiences. However, given the subject matter and its gritty, realistic depiction, sensitive viewers should be aware that this release can be a difficult watch at times. Nevertheless, despite its cinematic candor, this offering is also riveting in holding viewing attention, quite an achievement for a film with a 2:32:00 runtime, an artistic accomplishment largely made possible by its fine performances across the board and its stunning black-and-white cinematography. At the risk of overstatement, “Green Border” is handily one of the most important releases of 2024, one that should be on every cinephile’s must watch list for its hard-hitting impact and eye-opening revelations, disclosures that anyone with a conscience should find impossible to ignore.

G

good.film

@good.film

2024-11-20

For audiences who see “refugee” as just a headline in a newspaper, GREEN BORDER changes everything. It's an urgent, extraordinary film that spears your heart like an arrow. Winner of seven separate prizes at the Venice Film Festival, Green Border recognises that, to put it bluntly, the refugee crisis is a mess that’s too easily written off as “somebody else’s problem.” To break through that, Polish master filmmaker Agnieszka Holland zooms into just a handful of characters, and manages to make a statement with almost every frame. The handheld camerawork lends Green Border a realism, while the black & white imagery lends it a foreboding – the sense that this is living history; a shameful chapter of Europe’s recent past that somehow, we’re still allowing to take place today. We may not share a language or a border or even a nationality with these characters, but those are all constructs. We invented them. As trite as it sounds, the one core truth we all share is that we're all human. While our news cycles work hard to distract us from that, Green Border paints that reminder in bold black ink. Read our full review of Green Border at good.film: https://good.film/guide/this-refugee-film-was-blasted-by-a-right-wing-government-then-it-helped-overthrow-them