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In This World in September

26 July 2009

One of the prolific Michael Winterbottom's most crucial and compelling films, In This World is a powerful docu-drama that takes a pointedly different look at the immigration issue, detailing a journey that is illegal, fraught with danger and full of back-channel bribes, human smuggling and examples of the lengths people will go to in an effort to reach freedom.

Jamal and Enayatullah are Afghan refugees in a camp in Peshawar, Pakistan. Intent on fleeing their homeland and reaching the idealised freedom of Britain, they travel to Quetta and then to Taftan on the Iranian border, and despite paying people smugglers to assist them over the border they are stopped by Iranian police and returned to Pakistan. Their second attempt is successful, seeing them travel to Tehran and then to Maku, where they then cross a mountain range on foot into Turkey. From there they cross Europe with a group of other refugees, travelling in shipping containers and the back of lorries, dangerous modes of transportation that result in heartbreaking tragedy.

In This World is a profoundly moving and powerful film, made by one of Britain's most respected directors, using professional actors playing fictionalised versions of themselves in order to tell a story similar to the nearly one million refugees who make similar trips every year. Motivated by the tragic deaths of 58 Chinese immigrants in a shipping container in Dover, Winterbottom's story gives a name, a face and a humanity to the faceless thousands who risk all they have in search of a better life.

Previously released on UK DVD as a joint Optimum/ICA venture, In This World is to be re-released on 21st September 2009 by ICA at the RRP of £12.99. No details of any extra features have been provided, which would see the disc fall short of the original if none are on board.