Grenzland

Summary

In 1992, Andreas Voigt traveled the Oder and Neisse rivers on the German-Polish border for the first time in his film "Grenzland - Eine Reise". He showed the inhabitants of the towns and villages and addressed their pasts during the times of the Eastern Bloc. Almost 30 years later, Voigt embarks on this journey again to update his observations from 1992. In some cases, he meets the same people who now tell stories of a lack of perspective, the emigration of young people and a new freedom that sometimes doesn't feel so liberating. Much has changed: Immigrants from Syria and Australia tell how they perceive the region, bringing with them a thirst for action and a desire for change. Voigt also (once more) explores the dynamic between the German and Polish shores, noting asymmetries - for example, in the willingness to learn the other language. In this way, he shows a field of tension between two countries, between stagnation and change, and between a past steeped in history and an uncertain future.