Metropole

Having arrived in Paris in 1985, Hector did everything to be like “them”. In a notebook he finds in his flat, he crosses out a list of things he should do or pay attention to if he wants to become part of the French elite. In a painful dialogue with Martin, his alleged son, Hector notices himself in Martin; a young man full of dreams and ideals that turn out not to be matched by reality. Metropole is a film about migration, about assimilation, about the haunting of one’s past. It is a film about identity; lost, assumed, false. Metropole tells the story of millions of people out there who leave their homes behind in order to find a new one.

Directed by Ozal Emier, Virginie Le Borgne, Metropole leans on a strong ensemble — Alex Descas, Yoli Fuller — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2017.