Gemeinsame Grenzen

A polyphonic film portrayal of the idea of borders at the beginning of the 21st century, created by five directors from central Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia. Individual episodes of the cinematic journey from the north to the south present a subjective view on matters relating to identity, not only national, but identity in Europe, and the concept of borders. The Polish episode concerns neighbours from two sides of the river: Poles and Germans who have suffered equally from the experience of resettlement. In the town of České Velenice, Jan Gogola, the director, plays an ironic game with the inhabitants. In the Slovakian “Helpers,” a puppet threatens children with bad people who want to destroy “our blooming garden.” The Hungarian episode shows small-business travellers, lost in a multilingual world. The Slovenian one portrays the paradoxes of territorial borders.