Athlone Film Club’s continues its autumn/winter season on Tuesday September 28 at 8pm in the Dean Crowe Theatre with the 2009 French film Welcome. In this award winning film director Philippe Lioret has smoothly crafted an emotionally affecting drama driven by powerful performances.
Welcome is set largely in Calais where illegal immigrant Bilal (Firat Ayverdi ), a 17-year-old Kurd from Iraq, phones London to tell his girlfriend Mina that he’ll soon be crossing the Channel to join her. The intrepid boy has already made an arduous three-month journey to France and believes that the final leg will be easy. But he finds himself amid crowds of illegal immigrant stuck in Calais and desperate to get to England at any price. After an unsuccessful crossing as a stowaway on a lorry, Bilal conceives the desperate notion that perhaps he can swim to his goal.
Enter swimming instructor Simon (Vincent Lindon ); he’s in the throes of a divorce from teacher Marion (Audrey Dana ) who works for an organisation that provides aid for refugees. Simon agrees to give Bilal swimming lessons, then becomes increasingly involved with, and protective of, the boy initially, it appears, in the hope of impressing Marion, but eventually for more complex emotional reasons.
The action takes place against a topical background, with the film offering a quietly impassioned critique of the French government’s harsh policies towards illegal immigrants. Lioret also targets French xenophobia in general, one of a film’s heavier-handed touches being the characterisation of Simon’s hostile neighbours, who snitch to the immigration services.
You can join as a member on the night or sign up as a temporary member to watch the particular film. There will be a pre-screening wine reception in the theatre bar at 7.30pm.
For more information log on to www.athlonefilmclub.com or email [email protected].
