"Poland Selects 'The Peasants' Over Controversial 'The Green Border' as Oscar Submission for 2024"

It appears that Poland’s Oscar committee has selected “The Peasants,” an animated literary adaptation from the directors of “Loving Vincent,” as the country’s submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2024 Oscars. This decision was made over “The Green Border,” a film by two-time Oscar nominee Agnieszka Holland. The selection process was described as tough and heated, with a 4:2 vote in favor of “The Peasants.”

“The Peasants” is an adaptation of a Nobel Prize-winning novel set in a 19th-century rural Polish village, known for its hand-painted animation style. It was praised as a “ravishingly beautiful visual triumph” by The Hollywood Reporter. The film is said to address important and contemporary subjects, including society’s oppression against women, sexual violence, and mobbing.

On the other hand, “The Green Border” is a film depicting real-life events on the Polish-Belarusian border involving refugees who were lured by Belarusian propaganda but were caught when the Polish government closed the border. The film received criticism from Poland’s right-wing government, with comparisons to “Nazi propaganda.” Despite this controversy, the film attracted a significant audience in Poland.

Agnieszka Holland, the director of “The Green Border,” expressed concerns that the government’s smear campaign against her film created an environment of fear among the Oscar committee members. She praised “The Peasants” as an excellent and creative film but pointed out that the government’s attacks on her movie were indicative of a crackdown on political dissent in Poland.

Regarding “The Green Border’s” Oscar chances, Holland was unsure if her production would have the means to launch an independent Academy Awards campaign, especially in English-speaking territories like the United States, where a distribution deal had not been finalized.

In summary, the controversy surrounding “The Green Border” and its political implications played a significant role in the selection of “The Peasants” as Poland’s submission for the Best International Feature category at the 2024 Oscars.