FRAMELINE 49: DREAMERS

Taken to a UK detention center, sullen and too petrified to talk, Isio, an undocumented Nigerian fleeing homophobia, is assigned to a room with Farah, a soft-mannered yet gutsy artist who knows more about the ins and outs of the immigration system. While Isio would rather sit with her despair than make any friends, Farah’s helpfulness in the appeals process gives Isio a new outlook on her future while challenging her views of right and wrong. As friendliness progresses into flirtatious exchanges, Isio finds an unexpected chance at happiness and allows herself the luxury of dreams.

Making its world premiere at Berlinale and based loosely on her life, writer/director Joy Gharorro-Akpojotor’s timely and tender look at the uncertainty of the migrant experience gives voice to oft-unnamed asylum seekers navigating a confusing, belittling system while trying to maintain hope and sense of self.