Oscar nominee Jan P. Matuszynski will direct the Polish thriller series that delves into the world of modern espionage during a rising conflict and international unrest.
The series follows Ewa Oginiec (Góra), who wants to leave the secret service and start over after a personal tragedy. Things take a turn when her partner, also an agent, is exposed by Russian intelligence and mysteriously disappears.
The Eastern Gate examines the mechanism of provocation on the world stage and the battle between intelligence services in a world gripped by the complexity of hybrid warfare - very topical, as it turns out.
The title of one of the first HBO Max Original series refers to the Suwałki Gap, a critical spot along the border between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO member states, and Belarus and Russia (including the Kaliningrad Oblast, a separate exclave of the Russian territory). The Suwałki Gap is widely recognized as one of Europe's top three hotspots, a critical area for protecting NATO's eastern flank and maintaining regional stability.
“The world feels more divided than ever, yet in some ways, united by a shared sense of confusion. As a Polish-American artist, I feel a deep responsibility to bridge these perspectives, connecting the history and realities of Eastern Europe with a global audience,” shared Góra in a statement.
She continued, “Returning to Poland for The Eastern Gate allowed me to delve into the complexities of our time, portraying a female secret agent navigating the precarious moments leading up to the Ukraine war. This project is meaningful to me, much like my last film, Erupcja, as it seeks to shed light on universal confusions through the lens of our shared human experience.”
The Eastern Gate premieres worldwide on HBO Max on Friday, January 31. See more photos below.
