The harsh realities of immigrants in France and in the rest of Europe are expressed through this French film directed by Boris Lojkine, where we follow a man named Souleymane in the two days leading up to his interview to secure his legal residency as an asylum seeker in France. Without access to proper housing, income or family, immigrants like Souleymane are left stranded in a foreign country unable to make a living in which they envisioned, and which motivated them to move in the first place. We follow Souleymane through his endeavours as he tries to survive alone in France with what little he has; due to his legal residency being in the balance he cannot work so, like many others, he works as a delivery driver on his bicycle under someone else’s name; however, we learn that the money he makes isn’t truly his but most of it is taken by his makeshift ‘employer’ and account owner, so despite his efforts, he is still left cashless.
Souleymane comes from Guinea, and throughout the movie, he undulates between the French Fula spoken in Guinea and the traditional French of mainland France. By watching him balance the struggle of preparing for his make-or-break interview, demanding job and finding a place to sleep every night we truly appreciate the perilous and degrading journey people must take to reach a country where they can feel safe. They also have to jump through hoops just to survive in a country that is supposed to be their safe haven. Souleymane rehearses his own story over and over again in preparation for his interview, ironing out the flaws and refining its credibility. Although he seems to not know his own story – gaps, facts and experiences seem to be forgotten as he recites it throughout the day. His story of political persecution in Guinea is not his own but from a man called Barry who, in return for money, has written him a story which he must recite to the interviewer so he can be granted asylum. The story gets muddled in his mind as he juggles his work for which he isn’t paid whilst feeling the ache of missing his loved ones; the story is not his own and eventually, the interviewer realises this too.
It is evident that the story of a political refugee from Guinea has been used at least a dozen times that week, and the interviewer is not convinced; Souleymane stutters, his story doesn’t makes sense and he knows it, but now he is left defenceless and petrified, with no story, he has no chance of gaining his documents and freedom to work and live in France; he has been told his own experiences wouldn’t be enough so he is left in the room with the interviewer, speechless and frozen with fear. Souleymane, as we begin to understand, has migrated for his mother, who is ill, so he could provide for her. This story is like the one told by many other immigrants searching for a better life. Countries now don’t want economic migrants, so many like Souleymane find themselves to be refused the permission to stay and work. Now his only choice is to tell the truth.