T his poignant drama was clearly made on a dinky budget that probably stretched to barely more than crisps and squash on the catering tables. And yet thanks to subtle, considered performances, a finely milled script, inventive craftsmanship and a deep sense of empathy for the precarious lives of refugees, it packs a considerable wallop.

The story starts with reticent, clearly traumatised Nigerian Isio, played by Ronke Adekoluejo, who is subtle throughout in a role that could easily have been done with too broad a brush. Isio arrives at a women’s shelter for asylum seekers in the UK where she is assigned to share a room with Farah (a luminous Ann Akinjirin), who is already a few steps ahead of Isio in the legal process that permits applicants to appeal twice. (If the second appeal isn’t a

See Full Page