Journey of Hope

In this moving, resolutely unglamorous drama, based on a real-life incident, a Turkish couple decide to escape their hand-to-mouth existence by upping sticks to Switzerland. Selling their possessions, they travel illegally with one of their sons, eventually getting caught up with unscrupulous smugglers who promise transport over the Swiss border. The ultimate test comes when they attempt to cross a stretch of the Alps on foot. Compelling as the unfolding horrors are, the real strength of the film rests in its strong central characterisations. Koller resists sentimentalising relationships, building up the tension slowly so that by the time their nightmare deepens the couple have built up an unspoken bond. Less satisfactory are some of the colourless depictions of the Swiss, which merely serve to throw into relief the plight of the refugees.