A Syrian asylum seeker finds himself in a purgatorial state on a remote Scottish island, in this melancholic comedy. Director Ben Sharrock’s thoughtfully composed frames and the gazes along paved roads that stretch into the pale horizon of Omar’s seaside purgatory convey the journey of self-conscious reckoning that continues long after an exodus. Sharrock’s script bridges dry British humour and a comedic absurdism reminiscent of one of his prime influences, Palestinian actor-director Elia Suleiman.
Inspired by personal stories from his network of friends in Damascus, where he studied shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, Sharrock affectionately imbues his film’s characters with an unwavering dignity.