Welcome (2009 film) - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

Welcome official hd trailer

Welcome is a 2009 French film directed by Philippe Lioret. It stars Vincent Lindon and features Firat Ayverdi and Derya Ayverdi in their inaugural roles. The film was released on 11 March 2009 in France. The director wanted to highlight the plight of immigrants living in Calais, France, and their plans to reach the United Kingdom meeting activists and associations trying to help the refugees.

Welcome a film by philippe lioret 2009

Plot

The film tells the story of Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon), a French swimming coach who is divorcing his wife Marion (Audrey Dana). Simon tries to help a young Iraqi-Kurd immigrant, Bilal Kayani (Firat Ayverdi), whose dream is to cross the English Channel from Calais in France to the United Kingdom by any means possible to be reunited with his girlfriend Mina (Derya Ayverdi). Meanwhile, Mina's father strongly opposes Bilal's plans as he wants to marry his daughter to her cousin who owns a restaurant. After being caught with other immigrants and returned to France, Simon gives him temporary refuge at his home after the young Bilal, nicknamed "Bazda" (runner, for his athletic abilities and love of football and Manchester United in particular) registers for swimming lessons, intending to train to be able to swim across the Channel. After police search Simon's apartment, Bilal goes on a final attempt and drowns 800 meters from the English coast while hiding from the coastguard. Simon then travels to inform Mina.

Cast

Welcome (2009 film) WELCOME Official HD Trailer YouTube

Vincent Lindon as Simon Calmat

Firat Ayverdi as Bilal Kayani, "Bazda", 17-year-old Iraqi-Kurd immigrant

Audrey Dana as Marion, Simon's wife

Olivier Rabourdin as Police lieutenant

Derya Ayverdi as Mîna, girlfriend of Bilal

Yannick Renier as Simon's colleague at the swimming pool

Jean-Paul Comart as The rank

Mouafaq Rushdie as Mîna's father

Behi Djanati Atai as Mîna's mother

Patrick Ligardes as Hostile neighbor

Thierry Godard as Bruno, immigration activist and friend of Marion at the volunteers

Fırat Çelik as Koban, a furious Turkish immigrant pursuing Bilal for a debt

Jean-Paul Brissart as Immigration judge

Éric Hérson-Macarel as Police officer at the detention center

Emmanuel Courcol as Manager at the supermarket

Jean-François Fagour as Security personnel at the supermarket

Jean-Christophe Voiron as Czech truck driver

Reception

Welcome (2009 film) Welcome Philippe Lioret Vincent Lindon Firat Ayverdi Audrey

The film became popular with audiences in France alone reaching 780,000 in just 3 weeks on screen. The debate about immigration intensified after French Immigration Minister Éric Besson and film director Philippe Lioret debated the issue during the popular French television discussion show Ce soir (ou jamais !). Lioret took the opportunity to ask for an amendment to French law depenalising those who help refugees. "If such a thing passes on [amending] this article, it will be a victory", he declared.

The French member of parliament Daniel Goldberg introduced a proposition to decriminalize the aiding of unauthorised immigration (l'immigration clandestine). The proposition was hotly debated. The amendment was discussed but did not become law. Goldberg said he intended to introduce further measures to amend the law. Another proposition was tabled by a group of Communist senators, but never discussed.