A tough, stripped-back refugee story, it’s tempting to say that Europa (released in cinemas and on-demand by Bulldog Distribution) is a timely release. Except that would imply it wouldn’t have been timely if it was released, say, three months ago. The Ukrainian crisis is the one that’s currently in the headlines, but the last decade has seen a continual flow of people fleeing war zones, whether that’s Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan or, in this case, Iraq, which submitted Europa as its entry for the 2022 Best International Feature category at the Oscars. Haider Rashid’s film steps back from this wider political picture, though, and focuses single-mindedly on the journey of one refugee as he attempts to cross the border from Turkey into Bulgaria.
Rashid had been working with VR technology when he began developing the idea for Europa, and he’s described the resulting film as a kind of hybrid, a way of bringing the immersive qualities of new technology into traditional cinema. Those of a more Luddite bent (guilty) might be reminded of the Dardenne brothers in its melding of social realist and thriller elements, or of László Nemes’s Son of Saul. Like Son of Saul, the camera remains rooted to the protagonist throughout, keeping him both metaphorically and literally at the centre of the frame.
I had my quibbles with what Rashid doesn’t include, but there’s little argument with what he did include, particularly when you consider that this strenuous real-life survival thriller was shot in just eighteen days. Ali’s work here is a terrific calling card, and Rashid proves he has a keen eye for quietly affecting details.
That protagonist is Kamal, played with a remarkable commitment by Adam Ali. Remarkably, this is the first feature film credit for Ali, whose other work includes short films and episodes of the TV shows Little America and Waterloo Road. He’s sensational in this; there simply is not a point in which he’s less than totally convincing. The role of Kamal is primarily physical; Rashid refuses any easy flashbacks or conversations that might fill us in on who Kamal is and what he’s running from, barring the obvious. But there never seems to be a moment where Ali isn’t in character, and even in the middle of the action there are details – him pausing to sorrowfully touch the crucifix around a dead man’s neck, for instance – which imply back-story in a remarkably economical fashion.
For me, the decision to focus single-mindedly on the here-and-now is absolutely the right decision: I don’t think Europa would be a better movie if Kamal was carrying a photo of his girlfriend back home, or something like that. Others may find it too limiting, and it’s true that Europa‘s extremely brief run-time (without credits, it wouldn’t pass the 70-minute mark) makes it feel slighter than it should be. The ending, while convincing, doesn’t land as a statement, or make you reassess what you’ve seen. The line between Kamal’s suffering – one persistent threat on his journey involves gangs of armed “migrant hunters” – and the viewer’s own world is not fully drawn. The forest setting, while true to the environment that a real-life Kamal will have to cross, does make civilisation feel very distant. Still, that does add to the feeling that Kamal has miles to go before he’s safe.
I had my quibbles with what Rashid doesn’t include, but there’s little argument with what he did include, particularly when you consider that this strenuous real-life survival thriller was shot in just eighteen days. Ali’s work here is a terrific calling card, and Rashid proves he has a keen eye for quietly affecting details. My favourite was the tiny note of hope that’s present in every shot: throughout his ordeal, Kamal is wearing a Mohamed Salah Liverpool FC shirt. It’s unlikely that his immigrant journey will turn out as happily as Salah’s. But you never know.
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