Sam Abbas Unveils Movie ‘Europe’s New Faces’ Featuring Music By Bertrand Bonello

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Egyptian and American filmmaker Sam Abbas has unveiled upcoming picture Europe’s New Faces capturing the migrant experience, from crossing the Mediterranean Sea out of Libya to settling in Paris-based squats.

The observational work is the fruit of three years of filming migrant communities living illegally in abandoned buildings across Paris, as well as on the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) rescue ship Geo Barents, which operated across the Mediterranean from June 2021 until late 2024, saving 12,675 people in 190 operations. “Making this film I spent close to three years with migrants in different capacities and got a glimpse into a world so different from my own that it’s hard to fully comprehend.

A world with constant and never-ending challenges. A world in which socially, the isolation is profound,” said Abbas. “Surrounded by cultural and language divides, they face stereotypes and biases that keep them from feeling welcome, leaving many to shoulder the weight of loneliness.

Everyday tasks, like renewing documents or seeking basic rights, turn into endless battles with bureaucracy that never end.” The film explores multiple aspects of the migrant experience from the constant threat of legal action to facing exploitation in the workplace due to lack of documentation, and the struggle to find a place to live. “I saw squats made from buildings you can’t even imagine – old abandoned banks, post offices, corporate offices, the list goes on.