Lorna's Silence

The setting is Belgium, the Land of Opportunity for two émigrés from Albania, who dream of opening a modest snack bar and joining the ranks of the self employed. The male half of this duo is headed south for a temporary job on the Mediterranean, while the female, convincingly played by Arta Dobroshi― nominated for the European Film Award of 2008 for this role―has worked with a broker to fake a marriage to a Belgian so she can obtain the necessary citizenship papers. The lucky guy is a junkie who needed the money for drugs. Naturally they occupy the same domicile, but that is as far as it goes.

Once she gets her legal papers, the broker's plan is to administer an overdose to the junkie so our heroine/now a widow, can be paid a handsome sum to turn around and marry a Russian, who is ALSO seeking Belgian citizenship. In the meantime, our hard-working couple has saved a significant wad of cash and are on the brink of success. In fact, she has started shopping for a site where they can launch their little business. Got that so far?

Suffice it to say, the best-laid plans...

Ms. Dobroshi is wonderful, the situation actually feels realistic, and her character's reaction to the swirl of plots around her is understandable. I'm sure this world is full of desperate people who have voted with their feet and are trying to make a better life for themselves.

More power to them!