The surprising "Green Frontier". PiS politician on screen [RECENZJA]

The surprising “Green Frontier”. PiS politician on screen [RECENZJA]

Posted On: September 10, 2023

On September 5, Agnieszka Holland’s film “The Green Border” premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the most important award – the Golden Lion.
The image has been under attack for several months by the ruling camp and the public media controlled by it
The film does not smooth over reality, it does not deny that the people who were driven into the forest were an ambush of the democratic system
This devastating film demands a nervous audience to uncover the bloody costs of a fear-filled political campaign
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Long before the start of the festival in Venice, where “The Green Border” together with “Woman from…” by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert competed with the world’s best cinematography for the Golden Lion – Agnieszka Holland’s film was covered by “Wiadomości TVP. PiS politician those who control public media are also not left behind.

So we hear about “a despicable reptile stalking a Polish family” (Krystyna Pawłowicz), “another election lawsuit” (Patryk Jaki), or “Third Reich propaganda” (Zbigniew Ziobro). All this, of course, without having to visit the cinema, because this can only be done starting September 22.

Paradoxically, if judged by his honor and conviction, Holland, a three-time Oscar nominee, also gives the ruling party reason to be proud. The painting was created without state support from Poland, which was carefully emphasized by Minister Gliński.

Continuation of the material below the video

“Green Border”: Welcome to the European Union

“We are in Poland, we are in the European Union!” – one of the refugees assured a small group of his friends. With the dream of a life without war, they fell into Alexander Lukashenko’s trap. Instead of the promised Swedes, the Belarusian guards pushed them towards our borders. The joy of taking the first steps in the Polish forest did not last long. Although international law requires that migrants be given shelter, authorities are using the state of emergency as a defense push back tactics.

We see the ongoing drama of dehumanizing refugees from a different perspective: border guards are trained to be cruel (“Remember, these are not humans, they are Lukashenka’s weapons, don’t be fooled by crying children” – they hear from their superiors) – and activists at risk of imprisonment, bringing aid with “tied” hands.

In Podlasie, we meet Jan (Tomasz Włosok), a working carer, counting down the days to welcoming his daughter into the world, and Julia (Maja Ostaszewska), a precious therapist whose husband was taken away by the coronavirus. In “Green Frontier” they become the bearers of questions and doubts: about when a proudly worn uniform masked by shame and wariness of injustice was lulled into prosperity.

“Green Border”: Agnieszka Holland puts diplomacy aside

Agnieszka Holland puts diplomacy aside. Refers to the embarrassing conference of ministers Mariusz Błaszczak and Mariusz Kamiński, where it is argued that migrants are “sexual deviants”, exhibiting pedophilic and bestialist behavior. Minister Błaszczak and President Andrzej Duda also appeared on screen during the August 2021 conference, when they spoke about the “tense situation” at the border. – Holland emphasized – The European Union is absolutely not guilty of condemning migrants to death in the Mediterranean Sea.

But while stylistically “The Green Border” is black and white (excellent cinematography by Tomasz Naumiuk) – as a sign of mourning for the thousands of people Europe didn’t want to embrace – there are thankfully some shades of gray in it. storyline. Leaving an immobile person in the forest is an impossible situation even for activists who skillfully navigate the pile of absurdities, and the police, manipulated by top-down orders, can sometimes show a human face.

Holland, together with fellow playwrights Gabriela Łazarkiewicz and Maciej Pisuk, did not present documentation of events on the Polish-Belarusian border, as Michał Zadara did in the play “Responsibility” (Powszechny Theater in Warsaw). Interspersing later scenes with archival material may strengthen its credibility, but it may also affect the accessibility of the film’s language, which was designed to reach as wide an audience as possible.

“The Green Border” functions not only as a social manifesto inspired by life, but also as a full-fledged drama with elements of psychological thriller and sometimes even tragicomedy. The satire on those who are afraid to risk their privilege can be seen in the ironic scene with the heroine Agata Kulesza, a rich city woman who drowns her regrets by saying that “she always voted for the Civic Platform.”

“Green Frontier”: brutality upon brutality

The long session, two and a half hours, passed unnoticed also thanks to a well-managed international cast, consisting of refugees and people involved in aid on the Polish-Belarusian border. The representative value of this film cannot be questioned, even for the current government camp, which shouts down all the arguments.