In his feature debut, Borders of Love, director Tomasz Wiński explores the possibilities and consequences of one couple’s decision to try an open relationship, examining different forms of intimacy, love and sexual freedom.
Hana (Hana Vagnerová) and Petr (Matyáš Řezníček) have been together in a committed monogamous relationship for many years, however it’s clear within the first few minutes of the film that the couple has lost their spark
Hana and Petr have kept an ongoing video diary of their relationship, filming each other on their smartphones over the years. Borders of Love introduces Hana and Petr via cell footage of the early honeymoon phase of their relationship, wherein they imagine themselves together forever. Cut to present day, they work together at the same office and when they get home, Hana goes to bed alone and Petr masturbates to porn in the living room. Everything changes when friends of theirs encourage Hana and Petr to try the swinger lifestyle.
For Hana and Petr, what starts as simply sharing their unspoken fantasies with one another and (half) joking about the idea of opening their relationship quickly spirals into action without any serious discussion of how it will work or how comfortable they really are, or what will happen if they push the boundaries too far.
It is obvious from the start (to us, at least—they seem surprisingly oblivious) that they are on different pages. Hana is much more keen than Petr about opening their relationship, and while she experiences incredible sexual freedom and pleasure in her encounters with new partners, Petr’s experiences could more accurately be described as misadventures. He also takes Hana’s sexual pleasure with others as a personal blow to his ego and grows resentful and angry.
As Hana devotes more time to exploring new forms of intimacy with others, Petr turns inward and spends his nights drinking alone at a bar. The couple’s failure to check in with each other has serious consequences, however their approach at non-monogamy ultimately leads them to discover more about themselves and the kind of intimacy, sex and love they each desire.
The film approaches intimacy and communication in interesting ways, using Hana and Petr’s cell phone footage as an essential aspect of the couple’s relationship. At first, their smartphones are what allow the couple to be honest and vulnerable with each other, opening up on camera in ways they otherwise can’t or won’t. It’s how they share their fantasies and new sexual experiences with each other, their primary tool of honest communication. However, as they continue to explore outside their own relationship, their open dialogue breaks down, they film each other less, and the technology sours for them as Hana uses it to keep other, new relationships alive.
Hana is also distressed to learn the hard drive containing all their previous recordings is broken, wiping away years of their relationship in one foreboding instant. It’s very on the nose, but it speaks to the couple’s dependency on their smartphones as the tether to their relationship.
The use of the smartphone footage encourages vulnerability and intimacy, but the technique somewhat took me out of the film instead of bringing me into the moment with the characters.
Wiński co-wrote the screenplay with Vagnerová, Kasha Jandáčková, and Petra Hůlová. The film offers an intriguing premise and thoughtful execution in its portrayal of intimacy and shifting relationships. It’s a study of character as well as consequences both foreseen and unforeseen when an idea comes to fruition.
Borders of Love had its world premiere at this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), where it was awarded the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize for Best Film in the Crystal Globe competition.
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