Plot summary

After being forced to flee war-torn Syria, Adnan and his wife Bana are separated on route through France. Adnan faces the crippling challenge of living in ‘The Jungle’. His only option is to risk his life in a series of desperate attempts to cross the channel, hoping he will be reunited with his wife. Back in Syria, Adnan was a teacher, an ordinary man, a law abiding pacifist. Together with Yousef and Mima, friends he makes on the camp, they are prepared to risk everything in search of another life. Adnan’s friendships with fellow refugees, Yousef and Mima, strengthen through their shared experiences on the camp. Their risks begin to mount, threats from police, fellow refugees and ruthlessly exploitative traffickers are starting to close in. Set against the backdrop of the refugee camp known as ‘The Jungle’ in Calais the film combines documentary footage and real-life interviews with a dramatic narrative to give a voice to refugees that is seldom heard. —Jason Wingard