On Call
Alice Diop
| France
| 2015
| 96 min
Set in a petite GP’s clinic somewhere in Paris, practitioner Jean-Pierre sees the patients that have nowhere else to go. Most are immigrants with uncertain status who aren’t eligible for the regular healthcare system. Although many are still suffering from the physical and psychological effects of fleeing their homeland, they are without a roof over their heads and stuck in a system that doesn’t know what to do with them. With his hands tied, Jean-Pierre does the only thing he can: he listens to their tales of heart-break, endurance, and unexpected doses of humour with patience, warmth, and without judgment. Filmmaker Alice Diop observes without comment, mirroring the good doctor himself in this charming, moving film.
Director Alice Diop
Producer Sophie Salbot
Premiere Australian Premiere
Section International Competition
Festival Year 2016