‘Largo’ and the Power of Human Connection
Zack Elsokari and Tamsin Greig in Largo | Credit: Slick Films
Musa (Zack Elsokari) is a young Syrian refugee living in a small seaside town in the UK without his parents. One day, he decides to build a boat to find them.
Largo is an incredibly touching film. It’s a deeply human story that is intentional not to demonize or dehumanize anyone. We witness the discrimination from other adult residents of this town, but the film doesn’t paint them as the villains—we still are able to see glimpses of their humanity and their growth throughout the short film.
Grace (Tamsin Greig) is Musa’s foster mom, who is fighting her own battles while also trying to care for Musa. She makes mistakes throughout the film, but there’s such tenderness and fondness between Musa and Grace. You can feel the genuine care they each have for each other as they walk through their respective grief.
Largo is incredibly restrained in this story. We don’t go deeply into any one of the characters’ backstories. Instead, we learn just enough to understand this community and feel empathy for these human beings who are just trying to survive.
This short film is a wonderful watch, but what really impresses me about Largo is how it’s being used to start conversations and create change. It was shown in parliament and in schools across the UK for Refugee Week. This film is a reminder of the power of stories and the importance of remembering our humanity.
Largo is a call to be welcoming and to confront the ideas that we may have about people who don’t speak the same language we do. It’s a call to empathy toward those who were born in a different country. And a reminder that we are all human beings with dignity, worth, and value.