“In a world where displacement remains a defining issue of our time, Les Yeux Verts feels urgent and universal, becoming a profoundly empathetic and deeply human work”

Home is often a difficult concept to define, even if we tend to think otherwise. We take it for granted how challenging it can be to adapt to new circumstances and environments, and while it can be difficult to understand exactly how meaningful it can be to feel a sense of belonging, this is the reality faced by migrants every day.  Countless people set off to find a place to call home, leaving circumstances that negatively impact their wellbeing and going in search of a better way to live, even if it means abandoning everything that they know and instead embracing entirely new surroundings. It’s a contentious but timely topic, and one that we find explored extensively by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh in their film Les Yeux Verts. They create a complex and engaging social drama in which they aim to present a compassionate, engaging look at the trials and tribulations of immigrants in Europe, examining their efforts to exist in a time when their presence can sometimes be called into question. The film follows Nour and Chaya, who currently live with their father in the idyllic Landes region, which they genuinely believe will be their permanent home after having left Iraq. They settle in France as refugees, and gradually assimilating, to the point where the news that they are being evicted (which leads their father to consider leaving yet again, solely so that he can earn enough to help them relocate again) comes as a bit of a surprise. Nour in particular doesn’t take this news well, and eventually his erratic behavior causes him to fall into a coma from which his sister is determined to wake him, her idealistic worldview being a stark contrast to the cynicism and despair held by those around her. A moving portrait of the immigrant experience that manages to present a relatively conventional story in a radically new way, Les Yeux Verts is a well-crafted, meaningful film that captures our attention and presents a portrait of the contemporary immigrant experience that feels both original and daring, even when it is working through many familiar themes.

As was the case with the directors’ previous film, the well-received Gagarine, the focus of Les Yeux Verts is on presenting a glimpse into the lives of communities that tend to be marginalized, attempting to provide a more compassionate and detailed account of their experiences. The theme that anchors this film is the idea of finding a home, in terms of both the physical location and the more abstract idea of belonging, both of which intersect to create this engaging story. The approach taken by the directors is to present it from the perspective of younger protagonists, characters who did not make the decision to leave their home country and seek a better life elsewhere, but rather were put in a position of having to follow a father who made that choice on their behalf. The core of the film is a coming-of-age story that oscillates between the teenage Nour, who is trying to remain optimistic about his future despite knowing the stark reality of what it means to be an immigrant in a society that tends to be quite hostile to outsiders, and the more idealistic, innocent Chaya, who doesn’t quite grasp the reality of their situation and who still genuinely believes in the hope instilled in her from an early age. The dual perspectives bring a lot of interesting commentary to the film, which gradually and methodically unpacks the experiences of these characters as they navigate difficult situations. It makes some insightful statements on not only the immigrant experience, but also provides meaningful discussions around the legal system and how it can sometimes be quite challenging to navigate, especially for characters who are almost being forced to grow up faster than their peers and experience the world in a radically different way; they simply try to find a place to call home, regardless of what it ultimately requires from them.

Les Yeux Verts is primarily ca ]haracter-driven film, and therefore required actors who could effectively occupy the central roles, since the entire story is built around them, and can only be effective when the right approach is taken to developing these people as fully-formed, three-dimensional individuals rather than just derivative archetypes. Added to this, we have the fact that the film is about younger protagonists, which meant that there was a degree of discovery required to make the film effective – and Liatard and Trouilh were extremely lucky to find Douae Butarbuch M’Zaouki and Sayyid El Alami, two young actors who anchor the film and bring out so many of its most complex ideas. M’Zaouki in particular is quite impressive, especially since this is her debut acting performance, astounding considering the depth and complexity of her work here, every aspect of her performance feeling authentic and engaging, bringing out so much of the inherent complexities in this character, in what is very likely going to be one of the breakthrough performances of the year. The actors are helped along by the fascinating approach taken by the directors in bringing this film to life on screen, since there is a continuous sense of magical realism that guides the story, acting as our entry-point into the lives of these characters. Considering this particular subject tends to veer towards the extremely realistic, the constant dreamlike tone immediately sets it apart, creating a unique atmosphere that is massively aided by the directors’ determination to present a more nuanced and complex portrait of the internal lives of people navigating some very challenging circumstances. The tug-of-war between the gritty, intense reality and the more abstract, metaphorical moments of fantasy that exist within the young protagonist’s mind (reflecting how children often view the world very differently) creates a dynamic and engaging social realist drama that is not afraid to be more unconventional when it is required.

Considering it could’ve been a derivative, conventional drama about the experiences that immigrants often tend to face, it’s remarkable that Les Yeux Verts manages to be so incredibly inventive, even when it is retreading familiar territory. It defies the tendency of these films to be more somber and intense – there are several moments of sincere joy that interact with the more intense subject matter, showing that there is still room for optimism even in circumstances where hope seems unfeasible. The manner in which the film navigates its emotions is remarkable, since it manages to tell quite a complex story without becoming overwrought, quite an achievement considering it tackles a topic that is often subjected to a more heavy-handed depiction. At its core, this is a film that explores the idea of home being something that is created rather than inherited, and challenges the audience to rethink what it means to truly belong through refusing to reduce the immigrant community to merely political symbols or statistics. It’s an essential, daring subject that manages to not only be timely (particularly in the empathetic approach taken by the directors), but also somewhat innovative in its execution, the stylistic flourishes being more than just embellishments and having a clear purpose. Through all of this the film argues that optimism is always worth pursuing, even if it requires a more cautious approach that doesn’t invalidate the very real challenges faced by this community. It transforms a familiar story into something emotionally rich and complex, inviting the viewer to understand this subject without preaching or telling us how to feel. In a world where displacement remains a defining issue of our time, Les Yeux Verts feels urgent and universal, becoming a profoundly empathetic and deeply human work that is very effective in terms of both concept and execution.