This film grabs you from the start. The subtly-lit scenes near the Calais waterfront, where 'illegals' gather for a free feed and the exchange of information on how to get across the Channel to Britain are followed by quieter sequences where the story and the back-story are established. Thus the rhythm of the film develops. The theme is topical, and applicable in many places across the globe where displaced people, some the victims of torture or oppression gather to become victims, often enough, of unfeeling authorities or greedy people-smugglers. Death occurs in unventilated trucks, leaky boats or the undercarriages of trains. But there is hope. We see the work of the volunteers on the food stalls, and we experience the tensions between them. Maybe the story is not new, but this French crew tell the story with compassion that hits you where it hurts. We haven't seen these actors before, but they teach us how to act and eat at the same time. Food is always the specialty of the French film, and here it is done brilliantly. Sub-titles? Of course, but they are accurate and used with restraint, to let the dialogue in French, English and Kurdish give us the message. Don't miss it.
