Métèque
From the Archives
•
27m
A young Moroccan woman faces deportation from the UK while coming to terms with her her sexual orientation. A richly-drawn drama, “Métèque,” directed by Lauren Blackwell, follows Samia through an emotional period of turmoil. It’s a beautifully rendered exploration of identity, displacement, and deep but fragile bonds. Samia has been interning at a bank for several months when she’s offered a full-time position. But no sooner than her boyfriend gets the news and plans a celebratory party, she finds out there’s a problem regarding her Right To Work documents, threatening not only her job but also her ability to stay in the country. She enters a tailspin trying to sort through her options (including the possibility of marrying her UK boyfriend) while reckoning with the prospect she may be forced to leave her best friend of six years, Zoe, whom she may have unresolved romantic feelings for. As the picture of their last several years fills in — lovely days in Paris included — emotion spills out in several directions, anger at a society for hypocritical bureaucracies, feeling invisible and unwanted, longing for the past, scared of the future. Filled with sensitivity and specificity, it’s a whirlwind ride that rewards viewers paying close attention with wonderfully nuanced performances and editing, and builds to an affecting final act.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Daughter of Wands
On an afternoon at a skatepark, a 17-year-old girl makes an effort to fit in with her edgier friends while also tending to her shaky relationship with her younger sister. Emma Hall-Martin directs “Daughter of Wands,” a coming-of-age story set in the suburbs about teen pressures and the complexiti...
-
The Follower
Fueled by the hope of escaping her dreary suburban life, a misunderstood teen entertains the increasingly sinister advances of an Internet acquaintance. A stylish and self-assured melange of high and low art, “The Follower” tracks the excitement and danger of a 16-old-year girl drifting away from...
-
Porch Girl
A dramatically trained actor spirals out of control trying to decide if she should take an unusual acting gig. “Porch Girl,” directed by Sari Rae Eichenblatt, comically tracks the woman’s chaotic decision-making process as she resorts to asking strangers for advice. Reluctant to take a role she’s...
