Jungle, Jungle

Against a backdrop of images of the “Jungle” refugee camp of Calais, we hear a voiceover narration by Zaman, a young 16 years-old Afghani who works as a hairdresser in a makeshift salon. In a letter to his parents, he writes of his difficult living conditions, the community’s solidarity, his concerns for his family’s health and the death of one of his friends who has been found drowned in the harbour. In contrast with the young man’s prose that skips between the factual and the poetic, the reality is merciless: the 7-day eviction order for migrants to leave the jungle has expired. Zaman’s only hope is England, as he prepares to make his last attempt. (FM)