Welcome

Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has spent the last three months of his life travelling across Europe in an attempt to reunite with his girlfriend who recently emigrated to England. The journey has been difficult, but the end is in sight when Bilal finally reaches the far north coast of France, where he can literally see the white cliffs of Dover across the English Channel. But it is here that his journey comes to an abrupt halt as local authorities, and the immigration laws they are enforcing, prevent him from going any further. Not content with merely looking upon the country he desires to call his home, Bilal devises a plan to swim across the bitterly cold waters of the Channel, and heads to the local swimming pool to commence his training.

Cast:
Vincent Lindon (Simon Calmat)
Firat Ayverdi (Bilal)
Audrey Dana (Marion Calmat)
Derya Ayverdi (Mina)

Director: Philippe Lioret
Writer: Emanuel Courcol, Philippe Lioret, Olivier Adam
Runtime: 115 min
Genre: Drama
Language: French, English
Subtitles: English
Production Year: 2009

The screening will be framed by a short testimony by an undocumented minor in Cyprus and a discussion in the end