NZIFF: Limbo
9 Herschell Street, Napier, Hawke's Bay / GisborneRestrictions
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Melancholic, atmospheric and heartfelt, Ben Sharrock’s feature exploring immigrants awaiting asylum eschews conventional approaches to stories of the modern refugee crisis to create something profound and surprising.
UK
In Arabic and English with English subtitles
104 minutes
Rated M for offensive language
"Stranded on a wintery, blustery island off the coast of Scotland, a group of immigrants and asylum-seekers from all over the world wait interminably for their chance to start a new life on the mainland. In this immense yet suffocating liminal space, Omar (Amir El-Masry), a gifted oud player separated from his family in Syria, spends his days wandering the landscape, bonding with the other asylum-seekers and trying to stave off hopelessness.
Director Ben Sharrock’s sophomore feature contains notes of Cannes darlings Ruben Östlund and Yorgos Lanthimos, employing a similarly ornate, composed visual approach. And yet, where those directors often deploy their style to distance the viewer from the subjects, Sharrock’s intentions are far more humanistic. What results is a stirring exploration of the modern refugee crisis that shirks familiar storytelling tropes and never fully succumbs to bleakness (despite the barren, if beautiful, surroundings).
Flashes of sweetness and good humour pepper the film’s melancholy tone, ultimately evoking a quiet profundity. — Tom Augustine"
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