Letterboxed in a 4:3 frame, as if in an old television show, or on … Ben Sharrock's vision of a refugee limbo is inspiring. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Black History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events It was written in a fortnight in an isolated cottage in the Outer Hebrides without a phone signal or internet connection. Synopsis. We looked at some of the small fishing communities in the north-west fjords but we were looking at these places and thinking: ‘We could actually set this in Scotland and make it closer to home.’. Bringing poignancy and impeccably staged absurdity to the fish-out-of-water film, Ben Sharrock's comedy drama beautifully conveys the trauma of displacement and the coldheartedness of the asylum process. An offbeat observation of the refugee experience. Showing as part of. tells the story of a young Syrian musician seeking asylum in Scotland. “He wanted to stay in Syria but had to leave because of the political climate. Ben Sharrock’s second feature LIMBO is a funny and poignant cross-cultural satire, that subtly sews together the hardship and hope of the refugee experience. Limbo, Ben Sharrock, Scotland, UK, refugees, asylum seekers, Syria, Amir El Masry, Afghanistan Vikash Bhai, The plight of refugees is certainly not something to laugh at but the humorous approach to the subject offered in Limbo , the sophomore feature from Scottish writer-director Ben Sharrock, is rather refreshing. CAA has signed award-winning filmmaker Ben Sharrock. The Scottish director's second feature, following … ... “Limbo… “We actually went through a process of location scouting all over Scotland, but there was nowhere that had the same feeling and uniqueness.”. Ben Sharrock, Writer: Limbo. Ben Sharrock’s second feature LIMBO is a funny and poignant cross-cultural satire, that subtly sews together the hardship and hope of the refugee experience. The film is written and directed by Sharrock, produced by Irune Gurtubai and Angus Lamont and stars BIFA Nominee Amir El-Masry (Industry, Jack Ryan, The Night Manager). Ashley Roberts nails utility chic in shirt dress and knee-high boots, Manchester derby result and Shaw reinvention a triumph for Solskjaer as Man Utd bridge City gap for 90 minutes, Mytheresa is working with female artists this International Women's Day, GME share price explained: Why GameStop stock value has increased again a month on from Reddit ‘short squeeze’, Acer's 2021 Predator range of gaming laptops, PCs and monitors coming to the UAE and Saudi. Bringing poignancy and impeccably staged absurdity to the fish-out-of-water film, Ben Sharrock's comedy drama beautifully conveys the trauma of displacement and the … But when he arrives he quickly realises that as a single male it’s a lot harder to get asylum. Limbo is an absurdist take on the modern refugee experience through the eyes of … Bin lorry driver dumps burning load onto London street, Overseas travel and new variants mean Covid will never be wiped out, Whitty and Vallance tell MPs, Looks Like The Rumours Are True... Caramilk Is Finally Coming To The UK, These states are rolling back Covid restrictions, Prince Charles’s fears over race storm as Buckingham Palace under pressure to respond to Meghan allegations, Kylie Minogue's fans convinced she's secretly married after denying engagement. Ben Sharrock had the idea of making a comedy-drama film about the refugee crisis quite some time ago, and his college major and study abroad program gave him the inspiration. Musician Omar (the wonderful Amir El-Masry) has fled conflict in Syria and now finds himself at a desolate refugee centre on a remote Scottish island. The film centres on four asylum seekers who are staying on a remote island in Scotland, and taking cultural awareness classes, while awaiting the processing of their refugee claims. “Part of my vision from the beginning was to have a tonal mix. Limbo (2020) ︎ Limbo screens in the BFI London Film Festival on 16 October 2020 on BFI Player and is coming soon to Mubi. Separated from home and family, he waits in limbo for others to decide his future. Ben Sharrock's latest film is an endearing portrait of migrants stranded in a Scottish town, Limbo won the Golden Pyramid Award for Best Film, among other recognitions With Kwabena Ansah, Vikash Bhai, Grace Chilton, Kenneth Collard. “It is obviously a really serious subject matter. Review by Jacob 2. GFF 2021: Ben Sharrock's superb second film follows a Syrian man on a remote Scottish island. He said: “I always saw Limbo as a drama-comedy. BFI London Film Festival. Trailer. Ben Sharrock, Writer: Limbo. Limbo gives a Scottish welcome to four far-flung refugees. Ben Sharrock’s deadpan comedy-drama brings a completely fresh perspective to the life of a migrant. Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, to Limbo, the English-language directorial debut of Ben Sharrock (Pikadero). Revolving around immigration and the UK asylum process, it tackles some serious issues. We really want the Scottish audience to embrace it and feel ownership of it. “ The best support is the one that you receive from your country” El Masry said after receiving FIPRECI award. "I stayed in a cottage with a peat fire in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal and no internet. – February 10, 2021 – Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights, excluding the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, to “Limbo,” the English-language directorial debut of Ben Sharrock (“Pikadero”). I felt I needed to go to a remote Scottish island. ADVERTISEMENT . Sad and melancholic, but often very funny in parts too, their portraits are told in an impressive style reminiscent … Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request. San Sebastián International Film Festival. Ben Sharrock follows Pikadero with an assured second feature about a Syrian musician waiting out his asylum request on a remote Scottish island. Directed by: Ben Sharrock Starring: Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Kwabena Ansah, Ola Orebiyi, Kenneth Collard Sponsor Glasgow Film Festival 2021 Review - LIMBO When Limbo, which focuses on a group of male refugees sent to a remote Scottish island to await the results of their asylum claims, is finally screened to Scottish audiences next week it will complete a remarkable journey for his film. Writer-director Ben Sharrock… 104. minutes │ UNITED KINGDOM Scottish filmmaker Ben Sharrock's second film turns its attentions to the destiny awaiting the refugees that wait for asylum on a Scottish island. Sharrock is a budding indie director whose second feature, “Limbo,” was named by critics as the hidden gem of this year’s coro… Ben Sharrock’s delicious culture-clash chamber piece finds the wit as well as the heartache in four migrants’ exile to the dampest corner of Europe. The first award is FIPRECI (Samir Farid) award. Ben Sharrock spins absurd comedy from torment suffered by those waiting for asylum to be granted. Scottish filmmaker Ben Sharrock's second film turns its attentions to the destiny awaiting the refugees that wait for asylum on a Scottish island. Now, almost a decade after the first shots were fired in the conflict, which has led to hundreds of Synopsis. 2020. Ben Sharrock’s delicious culture-clash chamber piece finds the wit as well as the heartache in four migrants’ exile to the dampest corner of Europe. Dropdown. EXCLUSIVE: Focus Features has taken worldwide rights, excluding the UK & Ire and Australia/NZ, to Cannes and TIFF 2020 selection Limbo. “Omar is from a musical family and is a real virtuoso. Omar is a promising young musician. Beneath the absurdist comedic sensibility of writer/director Ben Sharrock’s film, which skews far closer to the deadpan surrealism of Yorgos Lanthimos and Aki Kaurismaki than the social realism the premise suggests, lies a sobering look at post-hostile environment Britain through the eyes of those who moved here in the hope of a better life. Limbo is a 2020 British comedy-drama film, directed by Ben Sharrock. Japanese auteur … Sharrock was initially drawn to setting his story in an isolated Arctic environment after reading of Syrian refugees being sent to remote Scandinavian coastal communities. Ben Sharrock. But its writer and director feels that the experiences of lockdown have heightened its impact on early audiences. Pay attention to your protein intake, Top Gear stars say 'joyous' new series steers clear of any big accidents, ‘I hope you get eaten by an alligator!’: maskless passenger gets thrown off plane, Chef explains why you should never reheat tortilla wraps in the microwave, White House: Covid relief checks could reach millions by end of month, Japan to stage Olympic and Paralympic games 'without overseas spectators'. Ben Sharrock’s Limbo is the winner of the fifth International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request. 09/12/2020 | Macao 2020 | Awards. Drama. The Edinburgh filmmaker’s feature has been lauded around the world after being selected for festivals in Cannes, Toronto, San Sebastian and Cairo, the birthplace of British-Eyptian star Amir El-Masry, who plays its main character, is on the BAFTAs longlists for both outstanding British film and outstanding British debut. UK vs USA Covid rules compared: How do the new rules compare between the UK and USA? United Kingdom, 2020. Limbo: Writer-director Ben Sharrock on his acclaimed refugee drama-comedy shot entirely on location in the Outer Hebrides Brian Ferguson. 104. The second award was Henry Barakat award for best artistic contribution. 8 October 2020 – Article Author Ellie Parker "I wanted to tell a story where becoming a refugee wasn’t a conscious choice... it was only one facet of that person’s life." Characters appear in wide shot, engulfed by their surroundings, only enhancing the incongruity of these strangers in a strange land. Omar is a promising young musician. After feeling increasingly troubled by the label of “refugee”, he starts grieving the loss of his own identity. Recent reports in the media that claim that the UK government is planning to house asylum seekers offshore come at a timely moment for Ben Sharrock, whose second feature, Limbo, charts the efforts of a Syrian refugee seeking access to Britain. Limbo, Ben Sharrock, Scotland, UK, refugees, asylum seekers, Syria, Amir El Masry, Afghanistan Vikash Bhai, The plight of refugees is certainly not something to laugh at but the humorous approach to the subject offered in Limbo , the sophomore feature from Scottish writer-director Ben Sharrock, is rather refreshing. Eurovision Song Contest: The UK entry is unveiled this week! Ben Sharrock. Written and directed by Ben Sharrock (Pikadero, 2015), Limbo presents itself formally as a comedy in the deadpan mould of Aki Kaurismäki or Roy Andersson. Sharrock said: “It feels really exiting to be showing it to a home audience and have such a great platform for the film. Awards & Festivals Show all . © The characters played by Vikash Bhai and Amir El-Masry forge a friendship on a remote Scottish islan... © Amir El-Masry plays Syrian musician Omar in Limbo. 09/12/2020 | Macao 2020 | Awards Such is the vision and the foundation of Ben Sharrock’s Limbo, showcased at the 64th London Film Festival under the journey strand. LIMBO. There’s a real responsibility to get that right. Encounters with passive-aggressive locals tend towards the surreal. “It was a case of me then figuring out how to do that and write a screenplay with a big list of things that I wanted to avoid, such as using a western character as a vehicle for the story. Los Angeles, CA. I looked at a map and saw Uist and wondered why I hadn’t heard of it before. I felt that I had to go there. LIMBO. Suzanne Lindon, Magdalena Koleśnik and Lance Henriksen were also the among the winners at the Asian event, which, this year, was held entirely online . Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, to Limbo, the English-language directorial debut of Ben Sharrock (Pikadero). I felt very strongly that our industry needed to say something about it and that I really had to make a film about it. Limbo Ben Sharrock (2020) 103min. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request. TIFF: Ben Sharrock’s quirky look at a Syrian refugee in Scotland is a touching rumination on the quest to belong in an empty world. Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo” took me by surprise. Omar (Amir El-Masry) is consigned to a remote Scottish island alongside other asylum hopefuls, who must undergo a “cultural awareness” course … 5 days ago. Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo” was named the best film at the closing event Tuesday of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao. Limbo is the new feature film from writer and director, Ben Sharrock, who picked up the prestigious Michael Powell Award for his debut feature Pikadero.Limbo began a five-week shoot on The Uists in the Outer Hebrides on October 15 th.. LFF 2020 1.33:1 Color Codex 15 In a packed festival circuit,Ben Sharrock's Limbo is an exquisite piece of cinema. Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, to Limbo, the English-language directorial debut of Ben Sharrock (Pikadero).The film is written and directed by Sharrock, produced by Irune Gurtubai and Angus Lamont and stars BIFA Nominee Amir El-Masry (Industry, Jack Ryan, The Night Manager). Mubi has acquired UK and Irish rights to Ben Sharrock’s Cannes 2020 selection Limbo, ahead of the film’s world premiere at Toronto later this month.. Directed by Ben Sharrock. A malevolent political wave, dead set on painting any/all incoming traffic … I would just look out the window and write every morning and in the afternoon I’d look for locations. While at times genuinely funny, its heart is rooted in a compelling lead with an emotional story and stellar cinematography. Limbo explores the experience of refugees living in Scotland, but leave any preconceptions you might have at the door.Director Ben Sharrock avoids the usual miserablism associated with cinema of these shores, mining instead a more drolly comic register as he follows the lives of several migrants waiting indefinitely for their asylum claims to be processed on an unnamed island. Limbo – first-look review. ABOUT THE DIRECTOR. El Masry thanked the movie director Ben Sharrock. Dead pan humour that touches a nerve at times. I’d been to some of the islands but they felt a bit touristy. Sharrock was keen from the outset that the film, which focuses on four main characters – played by Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai, Ola Orebiyi, and Kwabena Ansah – would have a flavour of absurdist humour to reflect the “absurdity” of the situation the characters find themselves in. What I expected to be an inaccessible absurdist comedy, turned out to be a heartfelt and meditative exploration of the awkwardness and agony of the asylum application process. Beginning triumphs at San Sebastián with four awards. Coming later this year from indie distributors Mubi is Ben Sharrock's drama Limbo.Revolving around immigration and the UK asylum process, it tackles some serious issues. By Rebecca Harrison. “It was around this time that refugees were being sent to islands like Lewis and Bute, but they were very different to the characters in the film as they already had refugee status. Scottish filmmaker Ben Sharrock, a Screen Academy Scotland graduate and EIFF Talent Lab alumni, made waves with his debut feature film Pikadero (2015). A refreshingly different voice in UK cinema, Scottish writer/director Sharrock won the Michael Powell Award at Edinburgh Film Festival for his debut Pikadero, a quirky love story shot in the Basque language. We really took our time to very carefully balance the tone. Made in Uist more than a year before the pandemic, the film has had its released push back till the end of July as the entire cinema industry has been been left in its own limbo. Recent reports in the media that claim that the UK government is planning to house asylum seekers offshore come at a timely moment for Ben Sharrock, whose second feature, Limbo, charts the efforts of a Syrian refugee seeking access to Britain. The film is written and directed by Sharrock, produced by Irune Gurtubai and Angus Lamont and stars BIFA Nominee Amir El-Masry (Industry, Jack Ryan, The Night Manager). I always felt deep-down that this film would go far. The film sees Syrian musician Omar forge tentative friendships with other new arrivals in the island community, including Freddie Mercury fanatic Farhad, while their lives are put on hold as a harsh winter arrives. It was a constant challenge in all the stages of the production process. “I don’t think you can’t get a more Scottish film than this one. Directed by. There is an undertone of humour that sometimes that comes to the fore. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Women's History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events