Synopsis: In this warmhearted comic yarn from Aki Kaurismäki (The Match Factory Girl), fate throws the young African refugee Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) into the path of Marcel Marx (La vie de bohème's André Wilms), a kindly bohemian who shines shoes for a living, in the French harbor city Le Havre. With inborn optimism and the support of most of his tight-knit community, Marcel stands up to the officials doggedly pursuing the boy for deportation. A political fairy tale that exists somewhere between the reality of contemporary France and the classic French cinema of the past, especially the poetic realist works of Jean Duvivier and Marcel Carné, LE HAVRE is a charming, deadpan delight and one of the Finnish director's finest films.

Language: French

Country of Origin: Finland, France, Germany

Production Year: 2011

Reviews:

• "Grade A! A perfect, deadpan, impishly optimistic fairy tale.", Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
• "Four Stars! It just plain makes you feel good.", Roger Ebert,

Awards:

• 2011: Winner, Fipresci Prize, Cannes Film Festival
• 2011: Winner, Louis Delluc Prize