Fiche technique
Welcome is a 2009 French award-winning film directed by Philippe Lioret. The film was released on 11 March 2009 in France and elsewhere in summer of 2009 stars Vincent Lindon and features Firat Ayverdi and Derya Ayverdi in their inaugural roles. The director wanted to highlight the plight of illegal immigrants living in Calais, France, and their plans to reach the United Kingdom meeting activists and associations trying to help the refugees.[1].
Synopsis
The film tells the story of Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon) a French swimming trainer who marriage is in ruins as wife Marion (Audrey Dana) has asked for divorce. Simon tries to help an illegal Iraqi-Kurdish young man Bilal Kayani (Firat Ayverdi) whose dream is to cross the English Channel from Calais in France to United Kingdom by any means possible to get united with his girlfriend Mina (Derya Ayverdi). Meanwhile Mina's father strongly opposes this as he wants to marry his daughter to a cousin. After being caught with other illegal immigrants and returned to France, Simon gives him temporary refuge at his home after the young Bilal, nicknamed "Bazda" (runner, for his athletic abilities and love of football and Manchester United in particular) registers for swimming lessons, intending to train to be able to cross the channel swimming with disastrous consequences.
Cast
- Vincent Lindon: Simon Calmat
- Firat Ayverdi: Bilal Kayani, "Bazda", 17 year old young Iraqi-Kurd
- Audrey Dana: Marion, Simon's wife
- Olivier Rabourdin: Police lieutenant
- Derya Ayrverdi: Mîna, girlfriend of Bilal
- Yannick Renier: Simon's colleague at the swimming pool
- Mouafaq Rushdie: Mîna's father
- Behi Djanati Atai: Mîna's mother
- Patrick Ligardes: Hostile neighbor
- Thierry Godard: Bruno, immigration activist and friend of Marion chez les bénévoles
- Firat Celik: Koban, a furious immigrant pursuing Bilal for a debt
- Jean-Paul Brissart: Immigration judge
- Éric Hérson-Macarel: Police officer at the detention center
- Emmanuel Courcol: Manager at the supermarket
- Jean-François Fagour: Security personnel at the supermarket
- Jean-Christophe Voiron: Czech truck driver
Reactions
The film became hugely popular with audiences in France alone reaching 780,000 in just 3 weeks of showing. The debate about illegal immigration intensified with French Member of Parliament Daniel Goldberg introducing alaw proposition to decriminalize aiding illegals.[2]. The proposition was hotly deabted[3]. The law was discussed but did not pass. Goldberg said he intended to introduce further measures to amend the law. Another proposition was tabled by a group of communist senators, but never discussed.
On 25 November 2009, the film won the Prix LUX[4] from the European Parliament.
External links
