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A small film, "Welcome" provokes big questions in telling the story of Bilal, a seventeen-year-old Kurdish youth who, for all his exceptional drive, typifies the heartbreaking lot of Europe's illegal population. It's a movie of low-key but powerful gesture -- swimming instructor Simon's acts of decency earn him no accolades from those around him, only their incomprehension, even hostility. That's a face of heroism far removed from Hollywood cliche, and it's all the more persuasive and moving as a result. I don't wish to spoil for others the ending of this fine film by saying more, but certainly one walks away from "Welcome" overwhelmed by the tragic waste of human life and aspiration generated by Europe's inflexible immigration system. Of course much the same could be said about things here in the USA, but that's another story for another time.

Philippe Lioret has written (with Emmanuel Courcol, Olivier Adam, and Serge Frydman) and directed this touching and compelling story of the trials of immigrants attempting to escape war-torn Iraq, reminding us of yet another aspect of the brutality of war. Titled WELCOME, it is anything but, as it demonstrates the averse feelings of the European countries to the plight of immigrants. This is a solid, well written and sculpted story that in the hands of a small cast of excellent actors reaches for the heart of the viewer and finds it.

Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon) is a French swimming coach in the painful period of signing divorce papers from his wife Marion (Audrey Dana), a socially impassioned woman who serves at the food kitchen in Calais, France, providing nourishment and support for homeless immigrants. Simon discovers a young Kurdish illegal immigrant from Mosul, Iraq, Bilal Kayani (Firat Ayverdi), who has endured torture form the Turks who force him to wear a black sack over his head for an extended period of time until he escapes. In Calais he pays 500 Euros and joins with a group of fellow asylum seekers in an attempt to be smuggled by truck through the English Channel Tunnel, but his memory of the hood experience has made him terrified of wearing the plastic bag over his head required of the 'clandestines' when crossing the borders to avoid the CO2 detectors used by the guards. Bilal's dream is to cross into England where his girlfriend Mina (Derya Ayverdi, Firat's real life sister!) waits, attempting to avoid an arranged marriage her father demands. Largely due to Bilal's inability to keep the plastic bag over his head during the attempted escape, the immigrants are captured and returned to France. It is then that Simon sees him on the street and befriends him, not only accepting him as a swimming pupil (Balil's dream is to swim across the English Channel for Mina) but also sharing his home and food with him. Bilal is polite and grateful and a bond forms between the lonely Simon and Bilal. A nosey neighbor exposes Simon as an illegal alien protector and Bilal runs away to protect Simon's reputation. Knowing that Bilal is determined to swim the English Channel Simon helps as best he can, but the film ends in a surprise that affects everyone who has been involved with the act of humanity to an illegal immigrant.

Vincent Lindon is brilliant as the newly compassionate Simon, and Firat Ayverdi is a very fine new actor who should enjoy a successful future in films: he simply has it all - looks, screen presence, and acting ability. One aspect of the film that makes it so very powerful is the manner in which Loiret explores the souls of Bilal and his wary protector Simon: WELCOME unveils a world of overwhelming forces, both natural and social, that examine the waters of history, forces that may be resisted, but they will not be stopped. This is a film that should be considered imperative watching for every member of society. Grady Harp, April 11

Wonderful little film about young love, and divorce, and immigration, and crushed hopes. The "mature" relationship playing in the background of the main story offers layers of perspective to consider when looking at the main story of the young immigrant.

(thanks to Film Movement for providing me with a screener!)

I learned today that apparently in France it's actually illegal to offer aid to illegal immigrants. This is possibly illegal here in the USA, but I'll bet it's not enforced. In France, however, it seems like it is.

I learned this by watching Welcome, a film that in France ignited much debate about the laws against helping illegals. The movie tells the story of Bilal (the extremely attractive Firat Ayverdi), a seventeen-year-old Kurdish boy who wants to get to England to be with the girl he loves. When his first plan to go across the Channel inside a truck fails, he falls back onto another plan to swim across. He finds Simon (Vincent Lindon), a former Olympic gold medalist swimmer and starts taking lessons so that he can swim to England and be with the girl he loves.

Now I've written before on my blog about how insanely stupid teenage love is, and this is a great example. Here's this kid who thinks he's in love with this girl and is willing to risk his life to be with her. Some people consider this wonderful and romantic. Not I. He'd have been far better off staying in France, since the French state they have no plans to deport him back to Iraq and especially since there seems to be at least some chance of normalizing his status. But, no, he's young, stupid and willing to risk death. These kids today...

Of course had he stayed in France we wouldn't have had a movie, and what a good movie it is. We see the plight of illegals in France, something I'm fairly close to myself living in Arizona. We handle it poorly, but they really have raised their bad treatment of illegals to an art form. We also get some wonderful side-stories about Simon's life and his recent divorce, and much about the way the police treat and investigate the illegals.

It was quite clear that Philippe Lioret, the director, had a definite agenda and the movie does suffer somewhat on an artistic level because of it. As a result, the ending wasn't what I had hoped for, being a bit of a disappointment. It was more realistic than what I had wanted, but that doesn't mean I like it. It's a very good film and I'm glad I saw it.

== SHORT SUBJECT ==

This month's short film is called The Berlin Wall. It's about an older man whose wife dies. He goes a little iffy at that point and winds up building up a segment of a wall in a field near his apartment. Some neighbors are appalled, but others are all in favor of making it a real wall to keep out the immigrants nearby.

It was a bit of an odd film, but a good one. The acting was spot-on and it was fun to see an East German woman complaining about immigrants getting tax euros only to have a West German woman point out that the East Germans get most of their money from the west. It's a nice compliment to the feature film.

"Welcome" begins with a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee Bilal's attempt to get smuggled into England. He is on the last lap of his long road to reunite his girlfriend Mina now living in London with her family. When Bilal's attempt fails, however, he finds himself stuck in Calais, the closest French town to England across the Channel.

The opening part of a French drama "Welcome" might remind you of a 2002 film "In This World" directed by Michael Winterbottom, but as the story unfolds, you will realize that "Welcome" is more about the unlikely friendship between two people than the journey the young protagonist takes. Bilal (Firat Ayverdi), though being a poor swimmer, takes lessons from the local instructor Simon (Vincent Lindon, "Pour Elle"). It doesn't take much time for Simon to see why Bilal is so eager to learn swimming. Bilal is going to swim across the Channel to meet his love.

The film's story is told with a very low key and somber approach. Though dealing with a political subject matter like illegal immigration, the quiet film refrains from shoving a message down your throat. "Welcome" is carefully crafted with an eye for detail that makes the two major characters Simon and Bilal vivid and complex.

"Welcome" benefits from compelling performances from the cast, most notably from the stars: newcomer Firat Ayverdi as Bilal, and Vincent Lindon as Simon, whose original motive for helping the Kurdish boy might not be totally altruistic. Simon still loves his estranged wife Marion (Audrey Dana), a schoolteacher who also works as a volunteer helping refugees. Is it that Simon only wanted to impress her?

"Welcome" is an engaging drama that maintains its dramatic tension throughout, greatly helped by the strong acting from the cast and the believable characters you really care.

I love indie fims and foreign films, and Film Movement is one of the best sources to catch those that are unlikely to make it to the big screen.

"Welcome" (108 min.) is a French movie directed by Philippe Lioret and starring Vincent Lindon as a swim coach in Calais who befriends a 17 year old refugee from Iraq who is desparately trying to get to London to reunite with his Iraqi girl friend who already has moved their with her family. Since he is unable to get snuggled across the Channel in a truck, the boy eventually decides to train and then swin across the Channel. The movie makes excellent use of the Calais scenery including those tempting views on clear days of the English "white rocks" which look so close but yet are so far away.

Vincent Lindon and Audrey Dana (as his divorcing wife with whom he remains on mostly good terms) bring good performances, but they are both outclassed by newcomer Firat Ayverdi as the 17 year old Iraqi boy. Last but not least, I thought the movie did an excellent job in setting the table of the multitude of immigration and asylum issues that plague so many West-European countries. Be aware, this movie is not for the faint of heart, and without giving anything away, don't count on your typical "Hollywood happy ending". This movie caught my attention from start to finish. Highly recommended!

What makes us human is our compassion and the fact that we can feel the pain of another and sympathize with others' sufferings and needs. This film is amazing. Vincent Lindon is outstanding, as usual, (check out LA MOUSTACHE) but the young actor Firat Ayverdi seriously takes home all the awards anyone should give him for his brilliant performance. I felt for him and I wanted to help him. There was a sense of impending doom from the very beginning, the sky is always overcast and it seems like it's always cold. This is about helping fellow humans as we would like to be helped in difficult, life/death situations. Simply stunning.

Simply put, a wonderful indie film that shows doing what's right, gaining compassion, sometimes means breaking the law. A heart wrenching end.

There is tense as the opening is about the method, stress, and danger of the desire to smuggle into Europe. Bilal is an athletic 17 year old from Turkey, and his mission is cross into Europe to be with a girl he loves, and whose family is set against this union. But being caught forces him to walk to Europe 4,000 kilometers that took 3 months.

He intends to swim the English Channel, 10 hours into the icy waters, where his beloved family is now located. Bilal meets a gold-medal swimming champ turned failure, turned instructor, Simon, who trains him to swim. Simon lets Bilal and a friend stay at his home and lives in threat of being reported by his neighbors for harboring the immigrants. Simon, in the midst of a divorce, takes the risk to harbor the immigrants in an attempt to win his wife back prior to a divorce.

Director Philippe Lioret had the idea for the movie learning about people who flee their homes at all costs and they followed non-profit organizations who help these people. The drama is based on a story of a young immigrant who does want to swim the English chanel. Director Lioret has learned about the very young people who leave their homeland, and the people who help them. This film has won numerous awards.

Although the film is slow for some, its drama is told within the conflicts of loving, leaving, success, failure, hope and dreams. The soundtrack is minimal, acting is impressive. The French film, released in 2009, is a Film Movement selection. Film Movement brings to viewers around the country, quality filming, great stories, good directing! ......Rizzo

This sad little film about asylum seekers is a reminder to we lucky ones of the desperate lives of others. There are several story threads to engage interest and the young man is a charmer.