Limbo (2021) with Short Film

This special screening of Limbo will begin with a short film by Bircan Birol; My Name is Anik.

My Name is Anik is a fresh and thoughtful 15 minute short film that offers both artistic intrigue and an injection of the reality of displacement and seeking refuge. Through bold, experimental, and intimate approaches, the film articulates the voice of its maker’s lived experiences.

Limbo is Ben Sharrock’s critically adored deadpan comedy-drama. The film is a wry, funny and poignant cross-cultural satire that subtly sews together the hardship and hope of the refugee experience, shining a light on the hearts and lives of those at the centre of a crisis that is mostly only experienced through the headlines.

Set on a fictional remote Scottish island, Limbo tells the story of a group of new arrivals awaiting the results of their asylum claims. It centers on Omar (played by rising star Amir El-Masry), a young Syrian musician who, thousands of miles from home, finds himself trapped by guilt, regret and the grief that he carries for the loss of his former identity. Separated from his family and burdened by a plaster cast on his arm, Omar wanders the epic landscapes searching for answers to a complex past and daunting future.

But while he is stuck there, he isn’t alone. In between brief long-distance conversations with his parents and passing interactions with oddball locals, Omar and his new flatmates attend outrageously misjudged ‘cultural awareness’ classes, binge Friends boxsets, and debate attending the local open mic night, all the while waiting for the delivery of letters that will ultimately determine their future.

“Ben Sharrock announces himself as a master of atmospheric film-making with this stirring drama” The Guardian ★★★★★

“A film as sweet as it is sad, as pertinent as it is absurd, Limbo is an experience where not much seems to happen but where little things mean the world” Empire ★★★★