
A young Kurdish refugee finds friendship from an unlikely source in WELCOME writer-director Philippe Lioret's dramatic chronicle of intersecting lives The tale unfurls in Calais a seaside community in the north of France where one can glimpse the white cliffs of Dover England with the naked eye Vincent Lindon stars as Simon a local swimming instructor privately reeling in turmoil because he dreads an imminent divorce from his wife (Audrey Dana) Soon his path unexpectedly criss-crosses with that of Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee with two aspirations swim the English Channel & join his girlfriend in England following a lengthy separation Despite their differing ages the two men discover that they have a fair amount in common & soon forge a tight bond marked by similar goals