Bilal is 17 and comes from Iraq. He left his native land shortly after his girlfriend
emigrated to England and is now in the midst of an adventurous
journey across Europe in order to see her again. However, his trek has now
come to an abrupt end here on the northern coast of France and he can go
no further. Between him and his girlfriend Mina lies the wintry English
Channel, its waves whipped into a frenzy of peaks and troughs by the
strong gusts of the north-west wind. Bilal is stranded in Calais.
A stretch of water measuring 32 kilometres separates him from the nearest
English town. In a flash, the boy decides to head for the
local swimming pool in order to begin training. This is where he meets lifeguard
Simon, to whom he eventually confides his grand plan. Simon takes
Bilal under his wing and secretly teaches the young Kurd how to crawl…
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