Illegal
Living in constant fear as an illegal immigrant in Belgium, thirty-nine-year-old Byelorussian mother Tania (Anna Coesens) is forced to conceal her identity (including a painful physical disfigurement) to protect herself and her young son from the imminent threat of deportation. Dodging both the local authorities and the Russian crime rings that prey on those who are sans-papiers, Tania reaches a crisis when she is caught and sent to a detention centre housing illegals from all over the globe. Using a moving personal story to illustrate a pressing international issue, Oliver Masset-Depasse’s film is a timely and disturbing portrait of the plight of refugees in an increasingly fortified Europe.
Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival
A prolonged stay in a Belgian immigration detention center causes more than a few chinks in the armor of a strong-willed Russian femme in "Illegal," Olivier Masset-Depasse's fascinating study of perseverance in the face of subhuman treatment. Walloon helmer's soph outing is almost entirely carried by ace actress Anne Coesens, who impressively portrays the immigrant's tenacity even as she must keep much of her personality hidden.
Boyd van Hoeij, Variety
Duration: 95 min
Dialogue: French, English, Russian
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K15
