Treatment

The basic structure of the film is a linear chronology of the two years in the mountain, culminating in an anxiously awaited conclusion. Within that wait the young men grow up and are transformed by their circumstances, some for the better and others for the worse. Thus the chronological structure has a very particular narrative function, and the passing of time plays a key role both in creating the atmosphere and in generating suspense as both viewer and protagonists anticipate a conclusion. What will happen in the end? Will they be deported, after all this time? Will they finally fulfil their dreams and complete the final 14 kilometres of their odyssey? Ingenious story-telling will keep spectators rapt up until the final conclusion of the story.

As a original narrative resource we include the video-messages which the protagonists prepare for their families, and their families in the Punjab responding to these messages from the sons they have not seen in years. Episodes filmed in India with the protagonist’s families will be integrated into the structure – which is otherwise chronological and physically limited to the territory of Ceuta – as part of the character development of each one of them. This visually stunning material provides a glimpse into the social realities, economic situations and cultural practices of the protagonists’ homes and helps the viewer both appreciate how much the young men have changed in their odyssey and share in their nostalgia.

Style and point of view

The film´s point of view is always alongside that of its protagonists. At no time does it recur to an authoritative voice, whether through expert interviews or voice-over. This subjective vision of events and heavy reliance on individual characters creates a bracing emotional connection to the narrative. Likewise, the style of filming with its rigorous attention to visual quality, colour and composition, is also more akin to fiction film than to most documentary reportage. We have chosen this style and point of view because
Stranded in the Strait does not attempt to give a global overview of this phenomenon but rather to tell the story from the perspective of its protagonists. Our commitment is to the subjective experience of the individual protagonists, allowing them to speak and act for themselves in their own language and their own daily struggles.