London River

Director: Rachid Bouchareb

Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyate

Genre: Drama 2009

Running time: 88 mins.

Rating:★★★★

Set against the backdrop of the July 7th terrorist attacks of 2005, the story follows Elizabeth (Brenda Blethyn) from a small farming community in Guernsey as she travels to London in the immediate aftermath of the failing to her from her daughter. Elizabeth is disturbed by the confusion of the metropolis and above all, by the predominantly Muslim neighborhood where her daughter lived. Her fear and prejudice escalate when she discovers her daughter was converting to Islam as she keeps crossing paths with Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyate), a West African Muslim who has come from France to find his missing son. Although they come from very different backgrounds, Elizabeth and Ousmane share the same hope of finding their children alive. Putting aside their cultural differences, they give each other the strength to continue the search and maintain their faith humanity.

The cinematography introduces the two characters with very little close ups and more with vast open landscapes of cliffs, forests, vineyards, cathedrals, and wilderness. Illustrating how small and lost they are, searching for something that is missing, but seemly to psychologically enormous to find again. Both of them are trying to continue on with the normality in their daily lives, but it is quite clear that, whatever it is, it's eating away within. A spiritual answer desired and then the bombing happens, hope for that answer is demanded. Especially when both have their estranged adult children are missing. The two meet, when Ousmane notices that Elizabeth's daughter and his son know each other from Arabic classes at a mosque. Cultural differences clash and ignorance, mostly on Elizabeth's end, but the two must work together if they want to find their children. The bond Ousmane and Elizabeth form as they give each other hope and emotional support is extremely moving. Elizabeth soon realizes that they aren't as different as she thought. In the end, is finding what they who they were looking for, enough closure and peace in their search?