Restricted Area

Karol, a driver from Warsaw of Ethiopian descent, is brutally attacked and illegally expelled across the border. Wandering the frontier forest, he experiences the fate of migrants and enters a space where law, empathy, and responsibility cease to exist.

  • Jan Górecki
    Director
  • Janusz Michalik
    Writer
  • Jan Górecki
    Writer
  • Maciej Ślesicki
    Producer
  • Warsaw Film School
    Producer
  • Mikołaj Woubishet
    Key Cast
  • Mikołaj Bernatowicz
    Cinematography
  • Jakub Dąbrowski
    Editing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Obszar chroniony
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2026
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Poland
  • Language:
    Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Warsaw Film School
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Jan Górecki

Jan Górecki – a film directing student at the Warsaw Film School, author of 20 short films, and a cinema enthusiast since childhood. He has gained experience in film production in almost every role, from directing to sound editing.

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Director Statement

“Restricted Area” is a film about the border, understood not as a line on a map but as a system of violence that operates independently of individual intentions. It focuses on the moment when a person - accustomed to a secure legal order - is arbitrarily excluded from it and forced to navigate a reality devoid of rules and accountability.

The film is told from Karol’s perspective, yet it does not narrate “his story” in a biographical sense. His experience is transitional and incomparable to the fate of migrants, but it allows the audience to enter the border space without the comfort of distance. The camera stays close to his body, capturing fatigue, disorientation, and growing fear. The forest is not merely a backdrop; it acts as an active participant in the events — a space of observation, control, and threat.

The film avoids journalistic commentary or clear-cut judgments. Violence has no single perpetrator, and responsibility is diffused among procedures, institutions, and indifference. It asks where law ends and survival begins — and how easily anyone can find themselves on the wrong side of the border.