Category: Limbo

(L to r.) Omar (Amir El-Masry) ,Wasef (Ola Orebiyi), Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) and Farhad (Vikash Bhai).

Trailer:

LIMBO Trailer (2021) Drama Movie – Bing video

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

With fresh and vivid images of the desperate Afghan people trying to escape a brutal Taliban dictatorship, Scottish Director Ben Sharrock nails the timely pathos of the asylum seeking immigrant experience in “Limbo”.

“Limbo” is a psychological study of four asylum seekers, who find themselves as housemates on a remote Scottish island, waiting to be processed.

Omar (Amir El-Masry) is from Syria, Farhad (Vikash Bhai) is from Afghanistan, Wasef (Ola Orebiyi) is from Nigeria and Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) is from Ghana.

Each housemate represents a different country and culture, yet they each have their own personalities and expectations of living in Scotland.

The cold, windy island is symbolic of their predicament.

To really succeed, they need a positive attitude, a philosophical belief on which to cling, and some kind of encouraging family connection.

I am not sure if it was unconscious bias, or intentional, but the two African men appear to have none of these advantages, so we witness the circumstances being stacked against them.

Farhad (Vikash Bhai) with chicken, Abedi (Kwabena Ansah), Omar (Amir El-Masry), and Wasef (Ola Orebiyi) in “Limbo”.

This film addresses unconscious bias, which expresses as an unwillingness to help or to assist. It expresses as an indifference towards them in expecting the worst of them and in not caring about or reaching out to them. When one of them disappears, no one sounds the alarm or tries to find him.

“Limbo” addresses jealousy and competitiveness, disparities in resources and support.

It addresses despair, disappointment, and false expectations.

I also felt a little bit of gender bias. Women are not depicted as nobly as the men. They are more the source of humor in this film.

Boris (Kenneth Collard), Helga (Sidse Babett Knudsen), and Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) in Limbo.

On the positive side, this film addresses a healthy willingness to learn a new culture, an openness to trying new ways and meeting new people, who may be different and, who may also harbor a race consciousness about who you are.

What I received from this film was an authentic feeling of walking in the shoes of an immigrant.

Twenty-twenty hindsight, is looking back on one’s experience, then getting a second chance to do it over.

“Limbo” can be either rented or purchased online, and is highly recommended.

Farhad (Vikash Bhai) takes his schooling seriously.

Cast:

Amir El-Masry as Omar
Vikash Bhai as Farhad
Ola Orebiyi as Wasef
Kwabena Ansah as Abedi
Kenneth Collard as Boris
Kais Nashefas Nabil
Sidse Babett Knudsenas Helga

Directed by	Ben Sharrock
Produced by	· Irune Gurtubai · Angus Lamont
Written by	Ben Sharrock
Starring	· Amir El-Masry · Vikash Bhai · Ola Orebiyi · Kwabena Ansah · Kenneth Collard · Kais Nashef · Sidse Babett Knudsen
Music by	Hutch Demouilpied
Cinematography	Nick Cooke
Edited by	Karel Dolak Lucia Zucchetti
Production companies	· Film4 Productions · Creative Scotland · British Film Institute · Caravan Cinema
Distributed by	MUBI
Release date	· 12 September 2020 (TIFF) · 30 July 2021 (United Kingdom)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	$92,780^[1]