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IMDbPro

Welcome

  • 2009
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
7.5K
YOUR RATING
Welcome (2009)
Bilal is 17 years old, a Kurdish boy from Iraq. He sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe. He wants to get to England to see his love who lives there. Bilal finally reaches Calais, but how do you cover 32 kilometers of the English Channel when you can't swim?
Play trailer2:06
2 Videos
10 Photos
Drama

Bilal sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe and wants to get to England to see his love who lives there.Bilal sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe and wants to get to England to see his love who lives there.Bilal sets off on an adventure-filled journey across Europe and wants to get to England to see his love who lives there.

  • Director
    • Philippe Lioret
  • Writers
    • Philippe Lioret
    • Emmanuel Courcol
    • Olivier Adam
  • Stars
    • Vincent Lindon
    • Firat Ayverdi
    • Audrey Dana
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    7.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Philippe Lioret
    • Writers
      • Philippe Lioret
      • Emmanuel Courcol
      • Olivier Adam
    • Stars
      • Vincent Lindon
      • Firat Ayverdi
      • Audrey Dana
    • 49User reviews
    • 86Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 13 wins & 16 nominations

    Videos2

    Welcome
    Trailer 2:06
    Watch Welcome
    Welcome: Your Friends, They Don't Come Back (French)
    Clip 0:41
    Watch Welcome: Your Friends, They Don't Come Back (French)

    Photos10

    Vincent Lindon and Firat Ayverdi in Welcome (2009)
    Firat Ayverdi and Mehmet Selim Akgul in Welcome (2009)
    Philippe Lioret in Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)
    Welcome (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Vincent Lindon
    Vincent Lindon
    • Simon Calmat
    Firat Ayverdi
    • Bilal
    Audrey Dana
    Audrey Dana
    • Marion Calmat
    Derya Ayverdi
    • Mina
    Thierry Godard
    Thierry Godard
    • Bruno
    Mehmet Selim Akgul
    • Zoran
    • (as Selim Akgül)
    Firat Çelik
    Firat Çelik
    • Koban
    Murat Subasi
    • Mirko
    Olivier Rabourdin
    Olivier Rabourdin
    • Lieutenant Caratini
    Yannick Renier
    • Alain
    Mouafaq Rushdie
    • Le père de Mina
    Behi Djanati Atai
    Behi Djanati Atai
    • La mère de Mina
    • (as Behi Djanati Ataï)
    Patrick Ligardes
    • Le voisin de Simon
    Jean-Pol Brissart
    Jean-Pol Brissart
    • Le juge
    Blandine Pélissier
    • La juge aux affaires familiales
    Eric Herson-Macarel
    • Le policier du centre de rétention
    Gilles Masson
    • Le gradé du centre de rétention
    Emmanuel Courcol
    • Le directeur du supermarché
    • Director
      • Philippe Lioret
    • Writers
      • Philippe Lioret(original scenario)
      • Emmanuel Courcol(original scenario)
      • Olivier Adam(original scenario)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The neighbor of Simon who rats him out to the police, has a doormat with the word 'Welcome' printed on it.
    • Goofs
      When Simon finds Mina in London, in the background is a sign for "Elephant and Castle Shopping Center" - in British English, the spelling "centre" would be used.
    • Quotes

      Marion Calmat: Know what barring people from shops means? Want me to buy you a history-book?

    • Connections
      Spoofed in Chashme Baddoor (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Migrants
      by Nicola Piovani

      © 2009 Nord Ouest

    User reviews49

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    An Emotional View of the Illegal Immigration
    The seventeen year-old Iraqi-Kurdish Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) has crossed the Middle East and Europe trying to reach England to meet his girlfriend Mina (Derya Ayverdi) that lives with her family. However he is caught in Calais, France, and sent to a refugee camp. Meanwhile the swimming coach Simon Calmat (Vincent Lindon) is divorcing his wife Marion Calmat (Audrey Dana) and he meets Bilal that wants to have swimming classes with him. Soon Simon learns that Bilal wants to cross the English Channel to be with Mina and the love of Bilal affects him. Simon befriends the teenager and decides to help him. But France penalizes those who help illegal immigrants and a neighbor denounces Simon to the authorities.

    "Welcome" is a French film with an emotional view of the illegal immigration, one of the greatest social problems of the century. We see on the news Mexican, Cuban and South American refugees trying to immigrate to the USA; Middle East and African refugee trying to immigrate to Europe; African, Central American mainly from Haiti and South American refugees coming to Brazil. In common, all these people expect to have a better life in the new country. But most of them do not have professional qualification and increase the legion of unemployed or subemployed and illegal workers in the new country.

    The director Philippe Lioret brings a different and romantic approach to this problem, with a love story entwined with the sympathetic gesture of solidarity of a man that is needy since he is divorcing his beloved wife and is punished by the French laws for helping the immigrant. The beautiful story is heartbreaking; the performances are top-notch; and this movie introduced a debate in France about illegal immigration. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): "Bem-Vindo" ("Welcome")
    helpful•5
    3
    • claudio_carvalho
    • Jul 10, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 11, 2009 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Official sites
      • Film Movement (United States)
      • Mars Distribution (France)
    • Languages
      • French
      • Kurdish
      • English
      • Turkish
    • Also known as
      • Hoşgeldiniz
    • Filming locations
      • Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France(main location)
    • Production companies
      • Nord-Ouest Films
      • Studio 37
      • France 3 Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,578,009
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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