SchengenStory

Slovak-Ukrainian border is a buffer zone of the Schengen area and the European Union, and also embodies the imaginary line between Central and Eastern Europe. This area constitutes a special geopolitical and social area, which flourishes not only in multiculturalism but also in organized crime - smuggling of goods (cigarettes, petrol or narcotics), people smuggling, or corruption. During the ‘wild’ 90s these illegal activities became a Slovak-Ukrainian “national sport”, whose prosperity had been undermined by Slovakia’s accession to the EU (2004) and especially into Schengen (2007) - strengthening the borders, building fences, CCTV systems, modern technologies and multiple increase of police forces. However, crime is a living organism, capable of perfect fit and adaptation. And it is in this peculiar environment that a storyline of a full-length feature drama-thriller is set, with elements of tragicomedy called SchengenStory. (excerpt)