Dont you trust me?
Oom works as a carer for disabled people whose families are too poor or too mean to pay professionals.
If he is alone in a workplace, he is locked in.
‘Mongrel’E&W Films
Like everyone else, he has surrendered his passport and never been paid.
They are often hungry.
Meals in the hostel are provided when there is some spare cash left from one of Boss shabby deals.
A bag of chips may not seem like much of a bonus, but it counts as riches here.
Hes my best man, Boss will assure clients as he bustles Oom into their houses.
Three will go to fishing boats, two to slaughterhouses: the kinds of jobs where immigrants regularly die.
No doctors, no police, no questions asked.
This is modern slavery at work.
It is also an absolutely brilliant piece of filmmaking.
Here is a director who seems to thrive on risk.
Almost every image seems corroded by poverty.
Poverty is not only a physical privation, however.
When he looks up, you see immediately how much he hates everything he sees.
Mongrelends with a brief flash of optimism.
We really need to see that dog.
We all need a friend, because this film is hugely difficult to watch.
Who would choose to see it for a nights entertainment is anyones guess.
There is a sense after seeing it, however, of having encountered greatness.
That is a rarity, even inCannes.
