Coluna Claquete – May 10th, 2016 – Movies of the Week: “A Love to Hide” and “Welcome”
Newton Ramalho
colunaclaquete@gmail.com – www.colunaclaquete.blogspot.com – @colunaclaquete
Movies of the Week: “A Love to Hide” and “Welcome”
Although with nuances of all kinds, I believe that the root of all humanity’s problems lies simply on intolerance, this feeling that causes everything bad that surrounds us always. By coincidence, this weekend I saw two French films that prove this theory, although they deal with different issues.The films are “A Love to Hide” and “Welcome”.
The title, “A Love to Hide” leads to this controversial drama, which revolves around a Jewish girl and her gay friends, two dangerous and deadly conditions anywhere under the domination Nazi, during World War II.
Sarah (Louise Monot) was a French Jewish girl whose family was murdered by a man who was willing to help them to escape. She found shelter with her childhood friend Jean Lavandier (Jérémie Renier), with who she had a teenage love affair. Jean, meanwhile, was living a forbbiden affair with Phillipe (Bruno Todeschini), in whose house he gives a secure place to Sarah.
The trio live well despite the Nazi occupation and the earnest collaboration of many French who did not hesitate to denounce Jews and steal the goods from those who fled. Among these is Jacques (Nicolas Gob), the younger brother of Jean, which causes a tragedy when denouncing his brother for being in love with Sarah.
The film shows this side of the war that many prefer to forget, the collaboration of many French with enemies, and the cruel manner in which homosexuals in Germany and occupied countries were treated, being sent to concentration camps where they were submited to experiments, lobotomies and executions.
It is estimated that between 90 and 100 thousand homosexuals were sento to camps, of which 15 thousand were executed.The French law of 1942 which criminalized homosexuality was lifted only in 1981.
The second film, “Welcome”, deals with a more recent problem, illegal immigrants trying to reach England, but find in France difficult choices to get to their final destination.
It is strange to know that France, a country with a tradition to welcome political and persecuted refugees, kept in his Foreigners Entry and Stay Code some articles penalizing with imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros citizens that help, transport or shelter any illegal immigrant. But questions concerning immigrants are not limited to laws and authorities, but also to attitudes of the French themselves.
In the film we find young Iraqi Kurdish Kalil (Firat Ayverdi) in the last stage of the long journey that brought him from Iraq towards England, where he hopes to meet his girlfriend Mina (Derya Ayverdi).
In Calais, the nearest French city of England, only 32 kilometers separate the two countries, at the narrowest point of the English Channel. The problem is that all modes of transport are highly monitored, the most frequent smuggling of persons in cargo trucks.
To avoid supervision that detects the presence of people through the CO2 level, illegal immigrants put plastic bags over their heads. This ends up being a problem for Kalil, who was traumatized after spending eight days tied up and with a bag over his head on the border of Turkey. They are discovered, taken to court and marked with indelible ink on the hand, which resembles tattoos of Nazi concentration camps.
The similarities do not stop there, they are prevented from shopping at markets, they are beaten by the police, and any French to help them is denounced by the neighbors themselves.
Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon) is a swimming teacher who lives oblivious to these dramas, immersed in his own life, shaken by the separation of his wife Marion (Audrey Dana), by whom he is still in love.
Simon meets Kalil by chance, who is determined to use another way to get to England: crossing the English Channel by swim.Simon tries to convince him to give up the idea, because only professional swimmers, with a good support team managed to accomplish the feat, but the young man is even decided.
Although the film is 2009, the conditions of migrants in Calais only got worse with time, although the humanitarian efforts to improve the living conditions of those people who just lost everything, are harassed around the clock, and still are accused of being terrorists.
These two films show the strength of French cinema that remains one of the world’s best, not only by the number of films produced, but also for daring in the way important issues are presented to the public.