Welcome (film)

Movie
German title	Welcome
Original title	Welcome
Country of production	France
original language	French
Publishing year	2009
length	110 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Philippe Lioret
script	Philippe Lioret, ; Emmanuel Courcol , ; Olivier Adam
production	Christophe Rossignon
music	Nicola Piovani
camera	Laurent Dailland
cut	Andrea Sedláčková
occupation
	Vincent Lindon : Simon Calmat; Firat Ayverdi : Bilal Kayani; Audrey Dana : Marion, Simon's wife; Olivier Rabourdin : Lieutenant Caratini; Derya Ayverdi : Mîna, Bilal's friend; Yannick Renier : Alain, Simon's colleague in the swimming pool; Mouafaq Rushdie : Mîna's father; Behi Djanati Atai : Mina's mother; Thierry Godard : Bruno; Fırat Çelik : Koban;

Welcome (also: Welcome - Limit of Hope ) is a feature film by the French director Philippe Lioret from 2009. The world premiere took place on February 7, 2009 at the Berlinale . The German version started on February 4, 2010. With his film, the director wanted to draw attention to the difficult situation of illegal immigrants in Calais who are trying to get to Great Britain and who are supported by French activists. In Germany the film was released by Arsenal Filmverleih .

action

Simon Calmat is a swimming instructor in an indoor swimming pool in Calais , France. He lives in divorce with his wife Marion. Simon tries to help a seventeen-year-old Iraqi Kurdish illegal immigrant, Bilal Kayani. His dream is to go to Great Britain to meet his girlfriend Mina again, who lives in London . After he and other illegals were spotted trying to cross the border in the back of a truck and sent back, he is desperate. He also learns that his girlfriend's strict father will soon forcibly marry her to a cousin.

But then Bilal has the saving, but at the same time apparently hopeless idea: To achieve his goal, he wants to swim across the English Channel . He takes swimming lessons from Simon. Simon is targeted by the police through the support of the immigrant. In the end, Bilal is actually trying to carry out his daring venture. But shortly before he reaches the English coast, he is discovered by the coast guard and drowns while trying to escape.

Reviews

In its 2010 review, the Frankfurter Rundschau called the film a “moving drama”. The misery of the illegal immigrants is given "a human face", which makes it difficult to "just look further away." The portal femundo describes the film as "a touching drama that successfully combines seriousness with lightness".