Director: Oliver Masset-Depasse
Country: Belgium/France/Luxemburg
Year: 2010
Length: 95 minutes
Genre: Drama
Screening Times: Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8 PM | Buy Tickets
Synopsis
Living in constant fear as an illegal immigrant in Belgium, thirty-nine-year-old Byelorussian mother Tania (Anna Coesens) is forced to conceal her identity (including a painful physical disfigurement) to protect herself and her young son from the imminent threat of deportation. Dodging both the local authorities and the Russian crime rings that prey on those who are sans-papiers, Tania reaches a crisis when she is caught and sent to a detention centre housing illegals from all over the globe. Using a moving personal story to illustrate a pressing international issue, Oliver Masset-Depasse’s film is a timely and disturbing portrait of the plight of refugees in an increasingly fortified Europe.
Festivals & Awards
83rd Academy Awards, USA 2011: Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Cannes Film Festival “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” (The Directors’ Fortnight), France 2010: Prix SACD
LUX Prize
Festival de Namur, Belgium 2010: Opening Night Selection
Festival on Wheels, Turkey 2010: GOLDEN BULL
Interviews & Reviews
Le Parisien — «Illégal» : intense***
Liberation — «Illégal», rétention danger
Paris Match — «Illégal», un film percutant
Thinking Faith — Film Review: Illegal
Director’s Bio
Starting with his first short films, Chambre Froide (2000) and Dans l’ombre (2004), Olivier Masset-Depasse has filmed women characters who are determined and ready to reach their goals at all costs. With his two shorts, Olivier has received about sixty prizes in festivals around the world.
Cages (2006), his first feature film that tells the story of a passionate but destructive love, appeared in many international festivals including Toronto, Rome and was received with great enthusiasm by the Belgian public. Illégal, his second feature film, is a psychological thriller with a social commentary background.
External Links
Official Website
Illégal Film Trailer (French)
Illégal on IMDb