Nuit obscure - Feuillets sauvages (Les brûlants, les obstinés)

The enclave of Melilla is somehow an anomaly: a piece of Spain on what should really be Moroccan territory. Like in neighboring Ceuta, many migrants from Northern or sub-Saharan Africa gather in Melilla hoping to find an opportunity to “take the risk”. Here they have Europe in plain sight every day, or at least the gigantic ferry called Trasmediterranea. Here they live within of reach of their great dream, to cross the border into the European Union. In his documentary, Sylvain George gives an account of mostly young men from the Maghreb: they are called Harragas, “those who burn” (their papers, in order to avoid being sent back to their countries).
Shot in gorgeous black and white, NUIT OBSCURE – FEUILLETS SAUVAGES gives an idea of how time starts to become irrelevant in a situation of endless waiting. But there are also the other moments: the gigantic queue with people who appear to have permission to board the ferry. Or the dangerous jump that may provide access to the forbidden port zones – or end in injury. NUIT OBSCURE tenderly tells bitter stories of abandonment in a liminal non-place.
(Bert Rebhandl)

In the presence of Sylvain George.

Sylvain George: NO BORDER (2008), L’IMPOSSIBLE – PAGES ARRACHÉES (2009), QU’ILS REPOSENT EN RÉVOLTE (DES FIGURES DE GUERRE) (2010), LES ÉCLATS (MA GUEULE, MA RÉVOLTE, MON NOM) (2012), THE CLOUDS (MY BLACK MAMA’S FACE) (2014), VERS MADRID: THE BURNING BRIGHT (2014), NOCTURNE BLANC CHASSEUR (2015), NOCTURNE (2015), JOLI MAI (QUE CEUX QUI QUI ONT TUÉ MOINS DE CENT FOIS ME JETTE LA PIERRE) (2016), YOUSSEF, LE VENT LA RAGE AVANT L’EXISTENCE (2016), PARIS IS A MOVEABLE FEAST (A FILM IN 18 WAVES) (2017)