The Border

English Title: The Border

A documentary about the devastating long-term effects of the border created between Slovakia and Ukraine in 1946, THE BORDER demonstrates the lingering oppression that remains even after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Slemence was once a small village of native Hungarian speakers who awoke one morning to discover that they were divided into two countries. With heavy border control immediately put into effect – first by Soviets, then by Ukrainians – families were separated and some even lost their homes. All the villagers yearned for was to be reunited with their lost family members. For decades they gathered at this border, shouting across news of loved ones, desperate to hold on to what family they still had left. Then, in 2005 when Slovakia joined the European Union, boundaries were redefined and the border opened for the first time in 60 years. Initially, many were thrilled to reunite with their families. However, corruption threatened to encroach on the border, making it a gateway for smuggling cigarettes and alcohol. And though one border was removed, others remain. (In Slovak and Hungarian with subtitles) – M.M.