stop over documentary to be screened at riverside studios

Music

Illegal immigration is never far from the headlines, but it is a rare and vital thing to see beyond the propaganda to the people at the heart of the issue with the honesty and humanity of Stop-Over.

Swiss-Iranian first time director Kaveh Bakhtiari visits his cousin Mohsen, who is living illegally in Athens with a small group of other undocumented Iranian men. Greece was supposed to be their gateway into Europe, but having been abandoned by their smuggler, they find themselves trapped, leading a shadow life in the boarding house of fellow Iranian immigrant Amir.

The constant fear of being picked up by the police, the hopeless search for fake papers and the monotony begin to take their toll. The only way out is to brave the treacherous onward journey alone, or to give in and find a way back to Iran.

Filming intimately from within the group, but nevertheless an outsider because of his legal credentials, Bakhtiari elegantly captures the camaraderie and struggles of these men, caught in a terrible limbo.

Stop Over will be screened on 27th March at Riverside studios followed by a panel discussion on immigration. For tickets, follow this link.

If you would like to win a pair of tickets to the event, email comps@theransomnote.co.uk with the subject ‘STOPOVER’. You have until 5pm on Tuesday 25th March to get your entries in before a winner is chosen at random.

Watch the trailer below: