Illegal

I have always been one of the types who said, "kick out the illegals and we'll all be fine". When I saw this movie, I cried. As one commentor mentions, this movie humanizes the process. Perhaps he is right that those who have drive are the very ones who deserve citizenship. I don't say, as Obama does, "let them all in so they will vote for me." But I have had an opinion change about these poor illegal immigrants who are just looking for something better. I just cried. How very little justice there is in this world. Isn't there enough room in the United States for a few more who will use their talents to build it up? What happened to the Statue of Liberty quote: "...bring me...your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"? Who knows, maybe the next will be an Albert Einstein, for all we know? And that we would turn people back to dictatorships! Who do we think we are? Isn't there some way that this could be done properly? How did my great-grandparents get here? And yours? They just came. Same way we are putting down. And it's not as if many don't have blood on their hands. What did many do to the original inhabitants of this land? Perhaps that whole scenario shows a little bit of hypocrisy. And the poor Lieve (played exquisitely by Christelle Cornil), who works at the detention center, just can't seem to understand why it is so terrible in the horrible Belarus dictatorship and why people would try to come to her country to escape. Is it so terrible back there, after all? Tania answers her "Do you think we're masochists to endure all this hardship for a little freedom?But when when one of the residents commits suicide, Lieve begins to understand then what these people are enduring in their own countries. Could it be so horrible to cut them a little slack? I have many European friends (the place this woman is trying to get inTO), who would love to come here to the US and are brilliant and have plenty of qualifications, promise, and future. Is there truly no room? Would there really be chaos? Or is this a vain imagining. Candada and the countries down under let more in then we do and they seem to be fine. Perhaps they have their own problems, as well, but perhaps we also have a little more hypocrisy here, as mentioned by another commentor. I'm afraid I have changed my mind from kicking them all out to letting them all come in who can somehow show they have a genuine need. I don't think it would cause chaos. If China can hold her billions, why not the US her millions? How bad could it really be? This movie has changed my mind on this subject forever. It has changed my life. You should watch it, too, if you ever get the chance.

In real life, not in this delicate and highly emotional film, is less talk or debate about the core problem of migration or why do people want to settle far away from their homeland? Who in the right mind wants to leave family, friends, home, culture and language behind? We know, millions do, but why and who is at fault? The answer is simple: Corrupt Governments. But the film ILLEGAL is not a political drama at all, it is a strong, emotional tale about a mother and her struggle to make sure her young son will be all right and grow up in freedom to become a decent person. The price is way to high but like any respectable and caring mother the sky is the limit, Tania would go to any length to protect her family's well being. From beginning to end this fine Belgian film will keep your emotions high and often will make you angry, it made me wanting to get involved and do something for her, but soon I realized, I am watching an extraordinary film and I am useless, except feel for the brave mother. Watching Illegal, Milos Foreman's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Alejandro Iñárritu's "Biutiful" comes to mind for they both deal with the human condition, the struggle to be alive and make it into the world.This is the second feature film for the talented Belgian writer/director Olivier Masset-Depasse who worked with the equally talented and beautiful actress Anne Coesens in both his feature films. Anne's screen presence is as dramatic as it is magical, her acting control and evenness is compelling. I hope you will LOVE this film as much as I do, not only for the subject matters, one of them being migration, that it is controversial and not easy to digest for many natives, but also for the extraordinary script, direction, acting and editing.

This movie is even better than I expected. The filming was done beautifully, and the relationships between the characters are very moving. This DVD arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

French title: Illégal. This (Belgian) film was a 2011 César Nominee for Meilleur Film Étranger (Best Foreign Feature). Award-wise, it performed best at the (first!) Magritte Awards. The illegal immigrant’s position is, like other positions of powerlessness, an unenviable one—with added difficulties. Family sponsorship helps but isn’t the solution that adults everywhere accepting responsibility, becoming better informed, making better choices and working together would be. A tall order yes, but consider the alternative!

Un film forte sulla sorte degli immigrati cosidetti 'extracomunitari' e 'irregolari'. Questo film non parla di barconi in arrivo in Sicilia ma dell esperienza di due donne, una russa e una dell Africa sub sahariana, tutte e due "immigrate irregolari" in Belgio. Il film si concentra sulla vita nei "centri di accoglienza" dove vengono rinichiusi i "sans papiers" per essere espulsi. Anche in centri di accoglienza ben fatti, con spazi per donne e bambini, con accesso a un avvocato, la vita e' quasi insopportabile. Perche' lo stress (per l'imminente espulsione), la paura (di lasciare i propri famigliari indietro), il desiderio di un opportunita' (negata) per una vita migliore rendono la permanenza un incubo quasi. E comunque l'umanita e la solidarieta tra le detenute e i loro dolori esce fuori forte. SOprattutto quando, rifiutando un rimpatrio "volontario" l'immigrata irregolare viene picchiata selvaggiamente di nascosto dagli agenti in modo che al prossimo rimpatrio volontario non resista. Il film ha un "happy end" anche se la vita non sempre e' cosi. Questo e' un film bellissimo che senza essere un documentario documenta fatti molto importanti per le nostre societa democratiche e liberali che dovrebbero rispettare i diritti umani e mostrare solidarieta verso i cittadini di altri paesi che sono meno affluenti e meno democratici.

C'est un film que tout le monde devrait avoir vu, juste pour comprendre la réalité des choses . Il y a de la richesse humaine parmi ces gens qui viennent dans nos Pays avec tellement d'espérance. Anne COESSENS, formidable !

Ce film est le complément idéal du roman Eldorado de Laurent Gaudé, je les utilise régulièrement en classe de FLE avec des jeunes de 16-17 ans (niveau B1)

Je n'ai pas pu visionner ce film parce qu'il est en italien...sans aucune indication sur la pochette! Très mécontente! Il faut vraiment y regarder à deux fois avant de commander! Déçue!