“The overall sweep of EUROPA EUROPA as both spectacle and storytelling is effortless throughout.” - Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Agnieszka Holland—whose GREEN BORDER won Best Film at the 2024 Polish Film Awards—gained international acclaim for EUROPA EUROPA. Based on a true story, German Jew Solomon Perel, who is separated from his family during WWII, finds himself surviving only by reluctantly hiding his Jewishness. In a Soviet orphanage he learns Russian, then uses his skills to work as an interpreter for the German army. When he returns home, he enlists in the Hitler Youth Academy—a horror that continues to keep his identity a secret. EUROPA EUROPA is a damning refutation of the idea of racial purity and a coming-of-age story like no other.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe Awards
Nominee - Best Adapted Screenplay
Chicago European Union Film Festival Spotlight: Poland | It is our pleasure, with the generous support of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, to present two weeks of the best new and classic films from Poland and Polish filmmakers. Join us March 7–20, as we present 20 films, including 13 new titles—and 12 Chicago premieres—alongside classics from filmmakers including Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Andrzej Wajda. Meet filmmakers visiting us from Poland, and enjoy taste from the country through special events and at concessions.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu