Welcome is a depiction of the harsh experience for many refuges residing in Europe. The film illustrates the struggle of lack of jobs, no permanent shelters, being ignored by society, and having the constant desire to better their own situations. Director Philippe Lioret actively tries to address these concerns that refugees face, however, tends to stretch himself thin by overly focusing on the main French character Simon Calmat. This film is meant to address the common issue: that people are quick to dismiss issues, and are slow to actually take action. Lioret answers this very effectively, having Simon take action in his life regarding the abuse of refugees. Seeing someone take action was heartwarming, especially to see the difference one person can make on the life of a refugee. It inspires others to do the same, not only in regard to the refugee crisis, but in all situations. The film also does an excellent job at bluntly portraying France's hostile attitude towards refugees. One particular moment that stood out was the neighbor attempting to explain why refugees are bad, claiming "they have lice, they steal..." This excuse, likely a common one, is incredibly petty, yet the French government embraces and encourages these attitudes to grow. Where this film lacked is the actual depiction of refugee life. The film selected a unique case where the protagonist gets lucky and befriends a Frenchman willing to care for him. This is not the situation most of the time. Hundreds of other refugees within France suffer much more unfortunate situations, and this was largely not shown. The massive refugee prison, The Jungle, barely made an appearance, the issue of shelter and sustainable food was ignored, and fear of violence from French and other refugees was only lightly touched on. This type of depiction actually makes it appear that refugees largely do not suffer greatly. Although it likely makes for a more feel-good movie, by emphasizing the exception to the case, the director alters the harsh reality of the life of a refugee.
Review of Welcome
