WELCOME

Year: 2009
UK: Cinefile
Cast: Vincent Lindon, Firat Ayverdi, Audrey Dana, Derya Ayverdi, Thierry Godard, Selim Akgul, Firat Celik, Murat Subasi, Olivier Rabourdin, Yannick Renier, Mouafaq Rushdie, Behi Djanati Atai, Patrick Ligardes, Jean Pol Brissart, Blandine Pelissier
Director: Philippe Lioret
Country: France
Language: French (English subtitles)
UK: 109 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language
UK Release Date: 6 November 2009 (Limited Release)
UK Distributor

Synopsis

17 year-old Kurdish teenager, Bilal (Firat Ayverdi), has travelled through the Middle East and Europe to finally arrived at a French port on the final leg of his journey to reach England. He's hoping to be reunited with his recently immigrated girlfriend, but his dream is blocked at the Channel port by the French authorities.

He decides on a plan to swim across the English Channel and starts to train at a local pool. It's at the pool that he meet a swimming instructor, Simon (Vincent Lindon), in the throes of a divorce. In an effort to win his wife back, Simon takes Bilal under his wing as he risks everything to win his wife over.