But in the beginning of the story, one of the main reasons why Omar doesn’t play his oud is because his right arm is in a cast. It’s implied that Omar’s passion for playing music has waned because of his traumatic refugee experiences. He doesn’t even really want a lot of people in Scotland to know that he’s a musician. But ever since Omar has been a refugee, he hasn’t been playing the oud. The oud that Omar brought with him to Scotland was given to him by his grandfather, who was a semi-famous musician in Syria. Omar is a musician who seems like he could have come straight out of a film made by July: He’s morose, very introspective, and he (like many of the characters in “Limbo”) often speaks with longer-than-usual pauses in between sentences.īefore leaving war-torn Syria, Omar was making a name for himself in his local area as a talent oud player. One of the students in the class is a Syrian refugee in his late 20s named Omar (played by Amir El-Masry), the story’s protagonist. Of course, things such as dancing and etiquette exist in the countries where these men are originally from, but the class is a metaphor for the European colonial mentality that sees people of color from other countries as brutes in need of social training. The answer he gives is never shown in the movie, because the scene is supposed to satirize the patronizing way that these refugees are being treated in this nation where they are racial and ethnic minorities. Helga then turns to the class and asks, “Can anyone tell me what Boris did wrong?” A Syrian refugee in his 40s named Farhad (played by Vikash Bhai) raises his hand tentatively. And so, when Boris reaches over to grab Helga’s rear end, she slaps him. This “dance instruction” is supposed to teach the men about sexual harassment boundaries when approaching women. Watching this spectacle is a group of about 20 Arabic and African men, some with their mouths open in a gawking “what the hell am I looking at” expression, as you do in quirky movies like this one. The lesson for the day is written on the chalkboard: “Class Cultural Awareness 101: Sex: Is a Smile an Invitation?” The class’s two middle-aged instructors Helga (played by Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Boris (played by Kenneth Collard) are awkwardly dancing with each other to Hot Chocolate’s 1982 song “It Started With a Kiss,” as a way of demonstrating Western mating rituals. Sharrock’s influences from filmmaker July are all over “Limbo,” beginning with the opening scene, which takes place in an adult-education classroom for refugees at a government-run refugee settlement area in an unnamed part of Scotland. In other words, “Limbo” isn’t for everyone, but it’s unusual enough to make a lasting impression on people who see it. It’s a movie that is best enjoyed by people who have tolerance for non-stop quirkiness with some angsty undertones. Writer/director Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo” looks a lot like what Miranda July would do if she made a movie about a Syrian refugee in Scotland. Vikash Bhai and Amir Al-Masry in “Limbo” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features) Amir El-Masry, Ben Sharrock, Cameron Fulton, comedy, Darina Al Joundi, drama, Hayan Rich, Iona Elizabeth Thomson, Kenneth Collard, Kwabena Ansah, Lewis Gribben, Limbo, movies, Nayef Rashed, Ola Orebiyi, Sanjeev Kohli, Scotland, Shereen Sadiq, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Sodienye Ojewuyi, Vikash Bhaiīy Carla Hay Vikash Bhai, Kwabena Ansah, Amir El-Masry and Ola Orebiyi in “Limbo” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features)Ĭulture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed part of Scotland, the dramedy film “Limbo” features a racially diverse cast of characters (Arabic, African and white British people) representing refugees, the working-class and middle-class.Ĭulture Clash: A Syrian refugee meets and befriends other refugees in a settlement in Scotland, as they wait to find out if they will be officially given asylum in the United Kingdom.Ĭulture Audience: “Limbo” will appeal primarily to people interested in quirky films about the refugee experience from the perspective of a Syrian character.
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