Hostile

This is a film that invades your heart by stealth. It starts like what might seem like a piece of anti Tory agit prop and morphs by turns into a moving exploration of the casual cruelty of a government under lockdown. The title comes from the Hostile Environment immigration policy originally brought in by Teresa May as Home Secretary, the policy at the heart of the Windrush Scandal that sought to expel migrants who had lived, worked and paid taxes in this country for decades and brought shame on the Conservatives and the nation. But, filmed as the pandemic tightened its grip, it becomes a nuanced and deeply moving exploration of the tragedy of unfortunate people caught between an inhuman (and ultimately self defeating, when you see the stats on how migrants help the UK economy) policy and deadly virus that cuts off opportunities to study, work - or even migrate away from Britain. The characters demonstrate patience, wisdom and heroism that stays with you long after viewing. Try and catch this film and do something about the issues and problems it brieflylliantly raises.