SYNOPSIS
African and South Asian migrants arrive at a Paris squat after leaving Libya. The film first follows life inside a self-managed building with around 400 residents—cooking, prayer, schooling, and eviction talks. Shot in static compositions and natural light, it captures daily moments with observational clarity. The second part shifts to the Geo Barents, a refugee rescue ship in the Mediterranean, where survivors receive care. With minimal dialogue and a haunting score by Bertrand Bonello, the film contrasts asylum hopes with the harsh reality of migration, portraying the resilience of migrant communities on Europe’s edge.
* By the director’s intention, subtitles will not be provided for a section of the film (from approx. 1h 32m to 2h 5m).
REVIEW
Europe's New Faces is an essay film chronicling the lives of African migrants in the informal settlements of Paris. Its considerable 159-minute runtime may seem daunting, yet the director’s attentive eye, focused on delicate detail, quickly steadies our response to this urgent subject.
The film is composed of meditative images of daily life—preparing food, bathing, praying. These scenes are not mere technical accomplishments, but a testament to a deep and honest immersion in the migrants’ spaces and inner worlds. Rather than dramatizing reality for narrative effect, director Sam Abbas builds his film—what he calls the Europe's New Faces project—from the ground up. Split into two parts, the film first forges an intimate connection with the migrant community in Paris, then shifts its focus back to the perilous journey that brought them there: the crossing of the Mediterranean. Breaking conventional rhythms, it depicts the constant threat of eviction on land and the brutality of coast guard encounters at sea. Having lived in one of these settlements himself, Abbas built close ties with human rights organizations, took part in sea rescue missions, and even invited filmmaker Bertrand Bonello—via a personal letter—to compose the score. The result is a rare work that pairs profound intimacy with unwavering advocacy, documenting not only the struggle for survival, but the fragile yet vital networks of solidarity that make it possible.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
I was born in Egypt and raised in the U.S., caught between two cultures. Migration became central to my work after moving to France, where I faced racism and deep isolation. In Paris, a chance encounter with a squat led to years spent in these occupied spaces. I documented daily life, evictions, and stories of survival—like those who crossed from Libya, enduring torture and rape. What began as solidarity became a film about displacement, resistance, and the fight to belong.
