Green Border: When Great Cinema Challenges Us to Think
By Dr. Juris Bunkis
Honorary Consul, Republic of Latvia in Southern California
Orange County Plastic Surgery, Corona del Mar/Newport Beach
One of the unexpected privileges of serving as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Latvia is the opportunity to attend remarkable cultural events hosted by fellow members of the Consular Corps. Last weekend, Dr. Deborah Ekstrom and I were honored to accept an invitation from the Honorable Paulina Kapuścińska, Consul General of Poland in Los Angeles, to a private screening of the acclaimed Polish film Green Border (Zielona Granica) at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
The evening began with an intimate dinner at Fanny’s restaurant, where diplomats, community leaders, and the film’s creative team gathered for thoughtful conversation before the screening. It reminded me of wonderful memories from last year when Latvian filmmakers celebrated their Academy Award for the animated feature Flow. Once again, the Academy Museum proved to be an extraordinary venue where art and meaningful dialogue intersect.
Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, Green Border tells the story of migrants trapped in the dense forests along the border between Belarus and Poland. Rather than presenting a simple political narrative, the film explores the profoundly human consequences of geopolitical conflict through the eyes of refugees, border guards, aid workers, and local residents. Every character faces impossible choices, reminding us that compassion and duty often collide in ways that defy easy solutions.
Ms. Holland has spent decades producing courageous films that examine moral responsibility during periods of political turmoil. Born in Warsaw in 1948, she has directed internationally recognized works including Europa Europa, In Darkness, Mr. Jones, and episodes of acclaimed television series such as The Wire and House of Cards. Her films consistently ask audiences to think critically rather than simply accept easy answers.
Green Border is beautifully filmed, emotionally powerful, and intentionally uncomfortable. Great cinema is not always meant to entertain—it is often meant to educate, provoke discussion, and challenge our assumptions. Whether one agrees with every perspective presented is almost beside the point. The film succeeds because it invites thoughtful reflection on extraordinarily difficult humanitarian issues that affect nations around the world.
I would like to commend Consul General Paulina Kapuścińska for sponsoring this event. Presenting a film that addresses such sensitive and emotionally charged issues requires vision and courage. Cultural diplomacy is about more than celebrating our national achievements; it is also about fostering honest conversations through art.
Dr. Ekstrom and I left the Academy Museum grateful for an evening that reminded me why films matter. The very best films do not simply tell stories—they expand our understanding of the human experience.
Film discussion and Q&A after the screening.
Dr. Ekstrom enjoying the ambience of the Museum.
AlloClae®: A Revolutionary New Option for Patients Without Enough Fat for Fat Grafting
By Dr. Juris Bunkis
Orange County Plastic Surgery, Corona del Mar/Newport Beach
Plastic Surgery Quiz: Which Patient Is the Best Candidate for AlloClae®?
Question:
Which of the following patients is most likely to benefit from treatment with AlloClae®?
A. A very thin woman who desires fuller hips but has little body fat available for harvesting.
B. A patient wishing to improve aging hands without undergoing surgery.
C. Someone hoping to soften contour irregularities following previous liposuction.
D. A patient seeking subtle enhancement of the buttocks without liposuction.
E. All of the above.
Correct Answer: E – All of the above.
I apologize for taking over Dr. Ekstrom’s column this week. Although she could have written it herself, I wanted to share my own perspective after watching her pioneer one of the most exciting advances I have seen in aesthetic medicine in many years.
For many years, I have admired Dr. Deborah Ekstrom’s extraordinary ability to perform fat grafting. There is a reason patients have affectionately referred to her as “Newport Beach’s Fat Grafting Queen.” Her artistic eye and technical expertise consistently produce beautiful, natural-looking results.
When I first heard about AlloClae®, however, I must admit I was skeptical. As surgeons, we naturally approach every new technology with healthy caution. Could a structural adipose filler really duplicate many of the advantages of traditional fat grafting?
After watching Dr. Ekstrom incorporate AlloClae® into her practice over the past year, I have become a believer.
AlloClae® is an injectable structural adipose filler derived from donated human adipose tissue that has been carefully processed to preserve its extracellular matrix while removing living cells. The remaining biological scaffold provides immediate volume while supporting the body’s own natural tissue integration.
Its greatest advantage is that it eliminates one of the biggest limitations of traditional fat grafting—the need to harvest fat from the patient.
Many of our patients are simply too thin to provide adequate donor fat. Others would prefer to avoid liposuction altogether. Until recently, these patients had limited options.
Today, Dr. Ekstrom is using AlloClae® to restore volume to aging hands, improve hip dips, soften contour irregularities, enhance the buttocks, and address selected body contour deficiencies with remarkable results. Treatments are performed in the office with minimal downtime, allowing patients to return quickly to their normal activities.
The improvements are natural, soft, and immediately gratifying. While every patient is different, AlloClae® has become an outstanding option for carefully selected individuals who previously had few satisfactory alternatives.
What impresses me most is not simply the product itself, but the artistry with which Dr. Ekstrom uses it. A biologic filler is only as good as the surgeon placing it, and her extensive experience with micro-fat grafting has translated beautifully to this exciting new technology. I can truly say that Dr. Ekstrom has become Newport Beach’s AlloClae® Queen!
Innovations come and go in plastic surgery. Very few truly change what we can offer our patients.
In my opinion, AlloClae® is one of those rare advances. Combined with Dr. Ekstrom’s exceptional skill and aesthetic judgment, it has opened an entirely new chapter in non-surgical body contouring at Orange County Plastic Surgery. I believe both AlloClae® and Dr. Ekstrom have an exceptionally bright future at OCPS.
Interested in rounding our your buttocks, filling hip dips, irregularities from prior trauma or liposuction, want to rejuvenate your hands but do not have enough of your own fat for a donor site?
Schedule online to set up an appointment with Dr. Ekstrom to explore your options.
This relatively thin patient, without adequate donor sites for a BBL, is shown here before and after injection of 150 cc of AlloClae® into each buttocks by Dr. Deborah Ekstrom of Orange County Plastic Surgery, the best AlloClae® injector in Newport Beach/Corona del Mar.
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