Anthony Chen give us a compelling portrait of loss in his first English language feature.

Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo) is adrift on a Greek island. Sleeping rough, eating sugar packets from restaurants, avoiding the police – the assumption is that she’s a refugee but her British accent challenges the stereotype we have

Bit by bit we piece together what has brought her there through nightmare-laden flashbacks. The only stillpoint she seems to find is US tour guide Callie (Alia Shawkat).

This could be a simple, white saviour story and for a while, I was expecting a solution – aid, food, a journey back to her adopted country. It’s a strength that Chen allows us to drift with Jacqueline, builds a character where pride and shame are as powerful as hunger. You can feel the heat of the Greek summer, see the inherent danger in being a female alone and being a person of colour in a European country. I think it helps that Chen employed a female scriptwriter, Susanne Farrell, as the depiction of Jacqueline and Callie and their friendship feels very real.

For Jacqueline it’s not a simple as a phone call or an embassy. The ending is as understated as it is cathartic.

Director: Anthony Chen
Origin: France, Greece, Singapore, UK
Language: English, Greek with English subtitles
Genre: Drama

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