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ILLEGAL

Directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse
  • YEAR 9 - FILM 1 / 
  • Belgium and France / 
  • 2010 / 
  • French & Russian with English subtitles / 
  • 95 min
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"[A] fascinating study of perseverance in the face of subhuman treatment."
– Boyd Van Hoeij, Variety

Synopsis

Tania is a former teacher from Russia, living illegally in Belgium with her son, Ivan. One day she is stopped for a routine check by the police and is arrested. Separated from Ivan, who manages to escape, she is placed in an immigration detention center for women and children. While utterly refusing to face expulsion, Tania thus begins a fight to preserve her dignity, identity and humanity, as well as find her son.

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Customer Reviews


Jeff in Seattle - Customer Review
A Belgic film about an eillegal immigrant parent caught by authorities with the son on the run. "Hop" is a similar film from Year 1, but "Illegal" is darker and focused more on the mother incarceratedby authorities and worried about her son outside her confines. You'll cheer at the end, despite the dark nature of this film.


Angel - Customer Review
Good story, but a little dry. A great view into the banality of the "crime" of illegal immigration as well as into the horrors of being caught and risking deportation.

Photos

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Tania (Anne Coesens) and Ivan (Alexandre Gontcharov) in ILLEGAL
Anne Coesens in ILLEGAL
Anne Coesens (center) in ILLEGAL
Anne Coesens (right) in ILLEGAL
Scene from ILLEGAL
Anne Coesens in ILLEGAL
Illegal Poster

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