Zielona granica, Poland / France / Czech Republic / Belgium, 152 minutes
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Writers: Maciej Pisuk, Gabriela Lazarkiewicz, Agnieszka Holland
Photography: Tomasz Naumiuk
Music: Frédéric Vercheval
Editor: Pavel Hrdlicka
Cast: Jalal Altawil, Behi Djanati Atai, Maja Ostaszewska, Tomasz Włosok, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous, Monika Frajczyk, Piotr Stramowski, Jaśmina Polak, Marta Stalmierska, Maciej Stuhr, Magdalena Popławska, Joely Mbundu, Taim Ajjan, Talia Ajjan
The green border in director and cowriter Agnieszka Holland’s blockbuster, sickening war movie, shot in black and white, is the swampy forested region on either side of the border between Belarus and Poland. A family of Syrian refugees is making their way to Sweden, seeking asylum in the EU. They travel by air to Minsk in Belarus, on the flight picking up Afghani refugee Leila (Behi Djanati Atai), an older woman who is seeking a new home in Poland (rather than wait, as she says, for the Taliban regime to resume power). Belarus is where the problems start for them. They encounter corrupt, sadistic, and/or indifferent officials in the border patrols, thieves, bad weather, and more. Poland unofficially does not allow passage for refugees. Both Poland and Belarus have “pushback” policies, which means Leila and the family are repeatedly herded across the border, back and forth, over and over, between the two countries. Making progress is all but impossible, dependent on luck more than anything.
The family is notably vulnerable. A grandfather in poor health (Mohamad Al Rashi) is the family patriarch, a traditional Muslim who trusts in Allah and rolls out the prayer mat even in the depths of the forest. His grandson Bashir (Jalal Altawil) is more savvy to the world, more embittered, carrying a cell phone that is their lifeline along with powerpacks to keep it charged. His wife Amina (Dalia Naous) and three young children are total innocents who must trust Bashir (and Allah) to get where they are going. The youngest is an infant still being breastfed. Leila has a cell phone too and seems to be the most skilled at using it. She and the oldest boy Nur (Taim Ajjan) make a connection that will turn out to be fatal.
The green border in director and cowriter Agnieszka Holland’s blockbuster, sickening war movie, shot in black and white, is the swampy forested region on either side of the border between Belarus and Poland. A family of Syrian refugees is making their way to Sweden, seeking asylum in the EU. They travel by air to Minsk in Belarus, on the flight picking up Afghani refugee Leila (Behi Djanati Atai), an older woman who is seeking a new home in Poland (rather than wait, as she says, for the Taliban regime to resume power). Belarus is where the problems start for them. They encounter corrupt, sadistic, and/or indifferent officials in the border patrols, thieves, bad weather, and more. Poland unofficially does not allow passage for refugees. Both Poland and Belarus have “pushback” policies, which means Leila and the family are repeatedly herded across the border, back and forth, over and over, between the two countries. Making progress is all but impossible, dependent on luck more than anything.
The family is notably vulnerable. A grandfather in poor health (Mohamad Al Rashi) is the family patriarch, a traditional Muslim who trusts in Allah and rolls out the prayer mat even in the depths of the forest. His grandson Bashir (Jalal Altawil) is more savvy to the world, more embittered, carrying a cell phone that is their lifeline along with powerpacks to keep it charged. His wife Amina (Dalia Naous) and three young children are total innocents who must trust Bashir (and Allah) to get where they are going. The youngest is an infant still being breastfed. Leila has a cell phone too and seems to be the most skilled at using it. She and the oldest boy Nur (Taim Ajjan) make a connection that will turn out to be fatal.
As this long, absorbing, unsettling movie unfolds we next meet activists in the woods who are there to provide medical aid and other assistance to the refugees, a heroic task in the face of these unfeeling authorities. The honest fact for me is that the whole scene began to remind me of what we’ve seen this year of the US federal government and its occupation of Minneapolis. I’m sure it’s much worse in Belarus and Poland but still. These border guards have no regard for the humanity or civil rights of the refugees, let alone their dignity. They beat them, taunt them with the water and food they desperately need, and cruelly trick them as they push them back over the border on either side. Another narrative thread works its way in too, involving one of the younger Polish officials, Jan (Tomasz Włosok), who has a wife about to give birth. He’s starting to have doubts about his duties.
It’s a lot of story, and these scenes are often confusing, one to the next—fog of war, in a way. They often happen at night, in the dark. Nonetheless it adds up to a nearly perfect portrait of the chaos of war and conflict and immigration. Holland always seems to be in control of these sprawling stories. At one point, when the group has been stopped yet again by authorities, Leila escapes into the woods and Nur, confused, follows her, even though she tries to wave him back. They end up separated from the family, who are taken back to the border. As much as anything they are all exhausted at this point from their experiences, which have been going on a long time even if it’s only a matter of days. Leila and Nur go off-trail, in the dark, and end up in swampy land, where tragedy strikes.
By this time the movie has shifted to make one of the activists, a recent convert, Julia (Maja Ostaszewska), more of a primary focus. Among other things Green Border is a high-tension, high-stakes picture that expertly walks the tightrope of suspense. It’s horrible stuff to see but it is also always riveting, never overplaying its hand, simply sitting still and letting the stories come to us. I’m not sure they all work—the Polish border guard Jan kind of gets lost in the confusion—but what does work works so well I’m not sure I’ll ever forget some of these scenes.
These filmmakers also have an explicit message to make about refugee policy in Poland. An epilogue notes that 2 million from Ukraine have been welcomed to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion. At the same time asylum-seekers from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Syria are treated brutally. Leila heartbreakingly tries to appeal to the Poles, telling them her brother worked with Polish forces from the EU in Afghanistan. He told her often how much he admired them, and that, she says, is the reason she wants to stay in Poland. It does no good. Even if they understand her, they are under orders to push her back into Belarus. I previously compared Green Border with the classic Soviet war movie Come and See. I still think they would make a good double feature, if you can stand it.
Top 20 of 2023
1. Green Border
2. Little Richard: I Am Everything
3. Perfect Days
4. Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
5. The Holdovers
6. Godzilla Minus One
7. Dream Scenario
8. Evil Dead Rise
9. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
10. The History of the Minnesota Vikings
11. American Fiction
12. Poor Things
13. The Bikeriders
14. Past Lives
15. John Wick: Chapter 4
16. Infinity Pool
17. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
18. Frogman
19. 12th Fail
20. Fallen Leaves
Other write-ups: Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Beau Is Afraid, The Creator, Knock at the Cabin, May December, Oppenheimer, People Try to Pet Tigers Sometimes..., Priscilla, Red Rooms, Silent Night, A Thousand and One, You Hurt My Feelings
It’s a lot of story, and these scenes are often confusing, one to the next—fog of war, in a way. They often happen at night, in the dark. Nonetheless it adds up to a nearly perfect portrait of the chaos of war and conflict and immigration. Holland always seems to be in control of these sprawling stories. At one point, when the group has been stopped yet again by authorities, Leila escapes into the woods and Nur, confused, follows her, even though she tries to wave him back. They end up separated from the family, who are taken back to the border. As much as anything they are all exhausted at this point from their experiences, which have been going on a long time even if it’s only a matter of days. Leila and Nur go off-trail, in the dark, and end up in swampy land, where tragedy strikes.
By this time the movie has shifted to make one of the activists, a recent convert, Julia (Maja Ostaszewska), more of a primary focus. Among other things Green Border is a high-tension, high-stakes picture that expertly walks the tightrope of suspense. It’s horrible stuff to see but it is also always riveting, never overplaying its hand, simply sitting still and letting the stories come to us. I’m not sure they all work—the Polish border guard Jan kind of gets lost in the confusion—but what does work works so well I’m not sure I’ll ever forget some of these scenes.
These filmmakers also have an explicit message to make about refugee policy in Poland. An epilogue notes that 2 million from Ukraine have been welcomed to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion. At the same time asylum-seekers from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Syria are treated brutally. Leila heartbreakingly tries to appeal to the Poles, telling them her brother worked with Polish forces from the EU in Afghanistan. He told her often how much he admired them, and that, she says, is the reason she wants to stay in Poland. It does no good. Even if they understand her, they are under orders to push her back into Belarus. I previously compared Green Border with the classic Soviet war movie Come and See. I still think they would make a good double feature, if you can stand it.
Top 20 of 2023
1. Green Border
2. Little Richard: I Am Everything
3. Perfect Days
4. Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
5. The Holdovers
6. Godzilla Minus One
7. Dream Scenario
8. Evil Dead Rise
9. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
10. The History of the Minnesota Vikings
11. American Fiction
12. Poor Things
13. The Bikeriders
14. Past Lives
15. John Wick: Chapter 4
16. Infinity Pool
17. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
18. Frogman
19. 12th Fail
20. Fallen Leaves
Other write-ups: Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, Beau Is Afraid, The Creator, Knock at the Cabin, May December, Oppenheimer, People Try to Pet Tigers Sometimes..., Priscilla, Red Rooms, Silent Night, A Thousand and One, You Hurt My Feelings
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