Humax TV Tonight: Limbo

Limbo premieres on FilmFour tonight at 9pm.

Writer and director Ben Sharrock's BAFTA-nominated, charming, poignant comedy drama stars Amir El-Masry as a Syrian musician who's marooned on a remote Scottish island while he awaits the result of his application for asylum. Omar (El-Masry) is one of a number of refugees ensconced in basic hotels in the back of beyond, waiting to see if they can stay in Britain. And the emphasis is on the waiting. They're not allowed to work. They must queue at a phone box to communicate with their families. They're surrounded by beautiful but desolate, deserted countryside in every direction. Omar is a talented musician, but can't play his grandfather's oud because of a hand injury, so even his creative outlet is closed to him. Or perhaps the oud is a burden to him, now that he is far from home. And as for the locals? Well, they aren't too sure about sharing their island with strangers. The problem for Omar and his fellow asylum seekers is working out whether this is in fact the waiting room for a brighter future, or simply their life now. Also starring Sidse Babett Knudsen, Kenneth Collard, Vikash Bhai, Kawben Ansah and Ola Orebiyi. Part-funded by Film4.