On a Scottish isle, Limbo breaks the refugee movie mould
by Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
Posted Apr 30, 2021 5:22 am EDT
Last Updated Apr 30, 2021 at 5:28 am EDT
In this image made from video provided by Focus Features, Amir El-Masry, left, stars as Omar and Vikash Bhai stars as Farhad in director Ben Sharrock s “Limbo”, a film about refugees waiting on a remote Scottish island for residency. The film is based on writer Ben Sharrock’s own experience of studying and living in Arab countries, visiting refugee camps and rooted in the fact that asylum seekers are often sent to remote areas of northern European countries while they wait to hear their fate. (Focus Features via AP)
On a Scottish isle, Limbo breaks the refugee movie mold
HILARY FOX, Associated Press
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1of5In this image made from video provided by Focus Features, Amir El-Masry stars as Omar in director Ben Sharrock s “Limbo”, a film about refugees waiting on a remote Scottish island for residency. The film is based on writer Ben Sharrock’s own experience of studying and living in Arab countries, visiting refugee camps and rooted in the fact that asylum seekers are often sent to remote areas of northern European countries while they wait to hear their fate. (Saskia Coulson/Focus Features via AP)Saskia Coulson/APShow MoreShow Less
ComingSoon.net is excited to premiere an exclusive
Limbo clip from the comedic drama, which Focus Features releases in theaters today, April 30, 2021.
Written and directed by Ben Sharrock (
Pikadero),
Limbo is described as “is a wry and poignant observation of the refugee experience,” by its official synopsis. “Set on a fictional remote Scottish island where a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims, it centers on Omar, a young Syrian musician who is burdened by his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.” It was recently nominated for two British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for Best British Film and Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
Vikash Bhai,
Hanna, McMafia), an Afghani man who has a strange preoccupation with chickens, as well as Wasef (
Ola Orebiyi,
Kwabena Ansah,
Enterprice), two brothers from West Africa who are constantly bickering and belittling each other. The four of them live together in a small apartment, take citizenship classes and try to learn about life in the west by binge-watching episodes of Friends.
Omar is skilled at playing the oud, and carries one passed down to him from his grandfather, though he never plays it, seeing no point and feeling too much depression and anxiety over the uncertainty of the future. Poor phone service makes it difficult to communicate with his parents back home, who want to him to make peace with his brother Nabil (