Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne impart the story of seventeen-year-old Lokita and twelve-year-old Tori, two immigrants to Belgium – from Cameroon and Benin, respectively – whose sibling-like bond is the only resource they can depend on in their struggle for survival on the margins of European society. The pair work as performers in a cheap trattoria, dealing drugs on the side, while balancing the demands of an indifferent bureaucracy. When Lokita is held captive in a marijuana grow house, events spiral out of control.
We see Belgium through the eyes of Tori and Lokita, shrewd youths who experience the teething pains of new immigrant life through a fierce commitment to found familial love. The pains soon intensify as they face the realities of surviving abroad.
Akojo Film Collective
Media Partner
Community Partner
Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne
Pablo Schils, Joely Mbundu, Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts, Charlotte De Bruyne, Nadege Ouedraogo, Marc Zinga
Belgium/France
2022
In French with English subtitles
Sexual abuse, violence, racism
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits
Screenwriter
Jean-Pierre, Luc Dardenne
Cinematography
Benoit Dervaux
Editor
Marie-Hélène Dozo
Also in This Series
Atlantics
In Dakar, Ada loves Souleiman but has been promised to another man. One night, Souleiman and his co-workers leave the country by sea. Several days later, a fire ruins Ada's wedding and a mysterious fever starts to spread. It seems Souleiman has returned.
Chez Jolie Coiffure
Having immigrated to Belgium from Cameroon, Sabine manages Chez Jolie Coiffure. Her salon patrons, many of them undocumented immigrants, are not only be made to feel beautiful but can also escape the daily difficulties and harsh realities of their lives.
Dilli Dark
Michael Okeke left Nigeria six years ago to survive in the frequently disconnecting and overcrowded New Delhi, which he despises heartily. He dreams of true love and a better job but is pushed into only the 4 Cs: cell phone, cocaine, cash, and clients.
Tori and Lokita
Sharing a sibling-like bond, immigrants Lokita (17) and Tori (12) work as performers in a trattoria, dealing drugs on the side, while navigating an indifferent bureaucracy. When Lokita is held captive in a marijuana grow op, events spiral out of control.