The film Green Border (Zielona Granica) by acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland, was widely seen as being a criticism of the way Polish border guards treated migrants and of the previous right-wing government's immigration policy.

Following its release last year, the Border Guards Union released a statement saying “only pigs sit in the cinema,” a phrase which originated during WWII to imply that attending cinemas under Nazi German occupation was an act of treason. Duda later appeared on public television on which he said that the film “denigrates Polish officers.”

He continued: “I have even read an opinion that shows them as almost sadists.

“These are people who guard the border of the Republic of Poland and the safety of Poles (...) the fact that Ms. Holland shows Polish officers (...) in this way, I am not surprised that the Border Guard officers who have seen this film used this slogan known to us from the occupation.”

Now the Center for Monitoring Racist and Xenophobic Behavior, which describes itself as an independent non-governmental organization, says it is taking Duda to court.

The organization’s president, Konrad Dulkowski, told TVP World: “In our indictment, we are asking for Andrzej Duda to apologize to those Polish citizens who went to the cinema and were insulted by the President’s words.

“The president’s role is to unite and Andrzej Duda is creating a rift in our society.”

Making the announcement on social media, the organization posted: “Now we have an undoubtedly difficult trial ahead of us, but it is worth doing - we want Andrzej Duda to go down in history as the first president to be brought to court by Poles.”

It added that it has also set up a crowd funder to help pay the legal fees.

The court date is set for October 24, 2025.

Green Border has garnered critical acclaim, winning the Special Jury Prize at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and, more recently, the prestigious Golden Lions award at the 49th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia in September 2024.

The film’s recognition in Gdynia has been interpreted by many as a political statement, reflecting shifting cultural policies under the current, more liberal, Polish government.