TRUE NORTH

Germany/UK/Ireland, 2006, 96 minutes, Colour.
Peter Mullan, Martin Compston, Gary Lewis, Steven Robertson, Angel Li, Hark Bohm.
Directed by Steve Hudson.

True North is a grim film, heightened realism to make it tragic.

The film opens with interviews with Chinese trying to get into England illegally – they are being rehearsed by the people smuggler. This indicates the theme of the film, the status of the people, their experiences, their limitations.

The film then makes the transition to a fishing boat in the North Sea with Gary Lewis as the skipper, trying to buy his boat over a period of thirty-two years. Martin Compston (Sweet Sixteen, Tickets) is his son Sean and his assistant. Peter Mullan is Riley, the deckhand and Steven Robertson is the cook who has mental limitations.

In Ostend, the son tries to get some cigarettes to smuggle into Scotland – but his contact is against smoking because of its cancerous effects on his relatives. However, he offers the Chinese for them to take illegally to Scotland. The son agrees to get the money in order to get his father out of debt with the boat. Riley, who has gone to a local brothel, agrees to help. The Chinese are put in a hold, difficult conditions which become worse when the decision is made to spend more time in the North Sea fishing to cover for the illegal migrants. One of the migrants hides in the kitchen, taking food but leaving money. Finally she is confronted by the cook who is very nervous, especially in the area of sexuality.

The film comes to a head with cruel and alarming behaviour, a dead Chinese thrown overboard, a storm, the death of the other Chinese and the threat by the father to throw the girl overboard.

The film is a combination of narrative and art film – and won a number of awards at festivals. For the average audience, it would be very hard going. It could be seen in connection with Nick Broomfield’s film Ghosts, based on the true story of Chinese migrants who are washed away on the rocks of Morecambe Bay, the fate of Chinese migrants once they reach England.

1.The impact of the film? Its quality? Its characters and themes? Realism?

2.The port of Ostend, the wharves, the shops, the brothel? The contrast with the visuals of the boat at sea? Panoramas, in calm, storms? The musical score?

3.The title, a sense of direction? Honesty?

4.The initial interviews with the Chinese, seeming genuine? The Chinese being coached in their false stories by the people smuggler? The farmer and his story, the building of the factory, the young man in prison for five years? The young girl unable to tell the story, talking about her mother? The harsh reaction of the people smuggler? The preparation for the reality of the voyage by the Chinese?

5.The reality of the issue of people smuggling in Europe in the early 21st century? The desire for people to go to England? The dreams of making money and sending the money back to China? The law, the searches, customs, border control?

6.The skipper, his years of fishing, a good man? His relationship with his son? Staying on the boat? Not knowing about the smuggling? His reaction when he discovered it, the violence towards his son? His desperation, the storm, discovering the Chinese? The cruelty of their deaths? His wanting to throw the girl overboard? The cook hitting him? His death?

7.Sean, his work on the boat, relationship with his father? Going ashore, wanting to smuggle the cigarettes? The lecture from the people smuggler? The offer of the Chinese, his accepting it? Discussions with Riley? Concealing the Chinese, carrying on as usual? The decision to fish to cover for the immigration and passport control? Customs? The dead Chinese, Riley leaving him with the man, throwing him overboard? His dismay in the final decisions for the Chinese?

8.Riley, his manner, his taking the cook and leaving him at the store? Going to the brothel, with the girls? Back on board, agreeing to smuggle the Chinese? The money? His removing the buckets and throwing the waste overboard? His sympathy – but ultimate lack of care for the Chinese? The dead man? The deaths? The storm?

9.The cook, slow-witted? The butt of jokes? Stranded at the twenty-four hour diner? Riley taking him in hand? The pornographic video, his not liking it, turning it off, the clash? Finding the money? Meeting the girl? Her misinterpreting the situation? His fear, running away? The report to the captain? His reaction to the captain and the girl? Hitting him and killing him?

10.The girl, hiding, in the kitchen, the food, supplying the money? Thinking the cook wanted to take sexual advantage? The threats, her surviving – Riley and the girl sitting at the bus stop, her going on the bus to a future?

11.The people smuggler, his morals, his lecture about cigarettes? Giving the Chinese to the ship in order to smuggle them into England?

12.A sense of realism? Topical issues? The humanity and inhumanity of ordinary people?