To the Marriage of True Minds

Hayder and Falah, two young Iraqi men, seek asylum in London from Baghdad. The two men buy illegal passage onto a cargo vessel, enduring a storm-tossed journey in the dim confines of a shipping container. Uncertain how long their voyage will last, or if they will be turned away upon arrival, they count the days by the light through a star-like hole in the ceiling. Falah, a writer, comforts Hayder with lines from Shakespearean love sonnets, whispered in Arabic, as they await an unknown reception. Their entry into England is heralded by the growling of security dogs at the walls of their container, and the two lovers become separated. We follow Hayder through the scrutiny of immigration to his frantic search for Falah in the Arabic communities of West London. Ultimately, as he finds himself bereft in an indifferent city, Hayder must trust that the poetry of their love will lead him, once again, to Falah.