Visions of Europe: To a Land Unknown

Mahdi Fleifel’s first fiction feature is a combination of buddy drama and tense thriller, following two Palestinian cousins stranded in Athens, living in an underground limbo.

Chatila (Mahmood Bakri) and Reda (Aram Sabbah) are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.

Nourished by New York cinema (notably Midnight Cowboy), To a Land Unknown races along like an edgy thriller, tragic but stripped back. A compelling, uncompromising and nuanced look at the living conditions of migrants.

Visions of Europe returns for its 4th edition, celebrating the breadth of European cinema with a handpicked selection of new releases, previews, festival hits and classics returning to the big screen.

Supported by Film Hub NI, part of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from National Lottery.