Welcome (2009/I) is a French film co-written and directed by Philippe Lioret. Bilal, played by Firat Ayverdi, is a young Kurdish Iraqi who has made his way to Calais, and is desperately trying to find a way to cross the channel to England. He encounters Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon), a former swimming champion who is now a swimming instructor. Bilal burns with the desire to get to London. Simon has divorced his wife, and is living a life with no purpose. The strength of the film is found in the contrast between the two men--one of them with resources but no goal, one of them with a goal but no resources.
The drama is played out in a setting where Bilal and other refugees like him are scorned, harassed, and arrested. The French don't want them, the English don't want them, yet there they are.
The question is whether one man's resourcefulness and burning ambition will be enough to allow him to succeed in his quest. Will the other man be roused enough to become part of the solution, despite societal pressures to keep his distance?
We saw this film at the Rochester 360/365 Film Festival. (Dumb name, but great festival.) However, "Welcome" should succeed on the small screen. It's definitely worth finding and seeing.
The drama is played out in a setting where Bilal and other refugees like him are scorned, harassed, and arrested. The French don't want them, the English don't want them, yet there they are.
The question is whether one man's resourcefulness and burning ambition will be enough to allow him to succeed in his quest. Will the other man be roused enough to become part of the solution, despite societal pressures to keep his distance?
We saw this film at the Rochester 360/365 Film Festival. (Dumb name, but great festival.) However, "Welcome" should succeed on the small screen. It's definitely worth finding and seeing.