Beautifully shot and scripted, this gripping human drama is one of the best British films I've seen in recent years.Two of a four-man crew on a Scottish fishing trawler on the verge of bankruptcy decide to traffic a group of Chinese immigrants in their hold; the young first mate (Martin Compston) keeps this highly illegal transaction secret from his proud father and boat's captain (Gary Lewis), but hopes it should go a long way to balancing the books. Meanwhile the dodgy crew member (Peter Mullan), who persuaded him to do the deed in the first place, gradually starts to develop a conscience as he witnesses the worsening degradation of the people slowly dying in the bowels of their vessel. Meanwhile sexually confused cook (Steven Robertson) helps the young pre-teen girl (Angel Li, on her debut) who is driven by desperation to steal out of the fetid, watery hold to his galley.The five principals are utterly compelling throughout, making the unflinching honesty of the story as it moves towards its inexorable destination so completely believable. On one level it is the kind of human suffering as old as mankind itself, while also reflecting the consequences as the pitiless expansion of modern global capitalism continues unchecked.Despite being a) Scottish and b) a bit of a buff for independent film, I had never even heard of this film when my 17-year old son & I came across it by accident on BBC late one night. It is a superb piece of work from all concerned and a genuinely moving experience. I can only assume the lack of big studio, big names and big budget (along with a quite forgettable, unhelpful title) conspired to ensure this memorable film didn't get a wider audience or praise. A great shame, but seek it out - you won't be disappointed.

The skipper (Gary Lewis) of the Scottish trawler PD-100 has worked for more than thirty-two years to buy his fishing vessel but is bankrupt and near to lose his ship to the bank. While in the port of Ostend, Belgium, his first mate and son Sean (Martin Compston) accepts a lot of money to smuggle Chinese illegal immigrants to Scotland to keep the trawler with his father. The crewman Riley (Peter Mullan) helps him in the scheme, and they hide the group in a store below the boatswain store. However, a Chinese teenager hides in the engine room, stealing food and leaving money in the galley. The cook (Steven Robertson), who is a little slow and has issues with sex, finds the stowaway (Angel Li) and helps her. Sean decides to stay longer in the North Sea to get catch and avoid problems with customs, leaving the immigrants in the most subhuman conditions. When one of the Chinese dies, despair is triggered leading the crew to tragic actions."True North" is a simple, but very cruel and heartbreaking story of despair and how far a human being can go under the pressure of a desperate situation. None of the characters is evil, but their attitudes under unexpected situation are scary. Sean has no concern with the immigrants, but in finding a way to avoid problems with the coastal authorities; the cold Riley has a touch of humanity with the terrible situation of the stowaways; the cook surprisingly protects the girl; and the captain has the most despicable procedure when he feels that he may lose his ship. The direction and the performances are awesome, and the screenplay is excellent. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Verdadeiro Norte" ("True North")

True North hits the ground running. It's never less than engrossing and the performances are uniformly excellent.What sounds like a derivative thriller: A crew of fishermen facing bankruptcy decide to smuggle Chinese immigrants from mainland Europe to Scotland, could easily have traded on clichés for it's effects. But writer/director Steve Hudson creates an all together more complex portrait of what essentially decent people will do in desperate circumstances.Martin Compton shows a maturity and stoicism in his performance.Peter Mullens character has the greatest arc; as an ex-con who lives his life at a superficial level to avoid engaging in anything deeply who has his humanity awakened by the plight of the immigrants stored in the belly of the boat.Gary Lewis quietly exudes the desperation of man whose working life is based around daily failure.Steven Robertson is excellent as the uptight cook from the Western Isles who is terrified of his own sexuality.But the real revelation for me was first time actress Angel Li whose facial expressions are pages of dialogue in themselves. My criticism of the film is not in the story itself but the state of the Scottish film industry with again, another Scottish story being shot predominantly in Ireland.In closing, I just hope True North gets the distribution deal that it deserves. It will probably be marketed as a thriller but it is so much more than this. Go see it.

For a movie that had a very simple storyline to it (Chinese immigrants go on a ship seeking a better life in northern Europe), I was amazed at a couple things when I saw this very engaging movie at the Toronto International Film Festival with the dynamic and fun director present:1) First, this story feels so very true. No sugar coating. No over-dramaticism. Nor clunky lines. It's a story with what are real characters just being themselves, in a fairly enduring and harsh environment.2) Then, while I was wondering why the movie was called True North, when I thought I had it figured out, the story's message struck even deeper. True North is the unwavering north. Not another form of north that shifts as the tides do. And making moral decisions -- if there is such a thing as a moral righteousness, was a topic, perhaps as I think of what's important to me, and what I would sacrifice in the name of money, my livelihood, or my own wants -- was a topic that just worked for me.3) And because the movie just came out and told a story -- I just felt -- WOW! What an awesome piece of work. And when the director talked about his passion for shooting on a ship when it needed to be on a ship, and how very real the scenes were because of that, I was even more impressed. The shots were vivacious, interesting, and captured the feeling of being on a ship. How a propos!So -- for an engaging movie, and a director's 5 years of sweat and tears using real life to inspire this story-telling, I think you will be so very engaged with this movie. Check it out!