Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has closed multiple territory deals on Agnieszka Holland’s “The Green Border,” which just completed principal photography in Poland.
The film has been sold to Condor (France), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Leopardo Filmes (Portugal), MCF Megacom (former Yugoslavia), Kino Swiat (Poland) and AQS (Czech Rep./Slovakia).
“The Green Border” tells the story of a family of Syrian refugees, a solitary English teacher from Afghanistan and a young border guard, all of whom meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis triggered by Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, who opened the country’s doors to migrants as a back door to enter the EU.
The screenplay, penned by Holland, Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko and Maciej Pisuk, is inspired by real events. Research for the film included hundreds of hours of document analysis, interviews with refugees, border guards, borderland residents, activists and experts.
A co-production between Poland, France, Belgium and the Czech Republic, “The Green Border” is produced by Marcin Wierzchosławski (Metro Films), Fred Bernstein (Astute Films) and Holland. Co-producers are Maria Blicharska, Damien McDonald (Blick Productions), Šárka Cimbalová (Marlene Film Production), Diana Elbaum and David Ragonig (Beluga Tree), while executive producers are chair of the European Film Academy Mike Downey and Field Entertainment’s Jeff Field.
The multinational cast includes Jalal Altawil (“Neighbours”), Maja Ostaszewska (“Body”), Tomasz Włosok (“How I Became a Gangster”), Behi Djanati Atai (“Welcome”), Mohamed Al Rashi (“Al Hadira: The Hangar”), Dalia Naous (“Escape from Raqqa”), Piotr Stramowski (“Pitbull: New Orders”), Jaśmina Polak (“The Wedding”), Marta Stalmierska (“The Breach”), Agata Kulesza (“Ida”), Maciej Stuhr (“The Teacher”), and Magdalena Popławska (“Panic Attack”).
The film is supported by Eurimages, the Czech Film Fund, the CNC – Centre National du Cinema et L’Image Animée – Cinema du Monde, Sofica La Banque Postale Image 17 as well as Belgium’s Centre du Cinema et de L’Audiovisuel de la Federation Wallonie Bruxelles and CANAL+ Poland, Czech Television and ZDF/ARTE.
