After a decade in Hollywood, the Chilean-born, Sweden-based director Daniel Espinosa (Easy Money) returned to Sweden to co-write and direct this stirring social-issues drama about an Eritrean fugitive doing everything she can to survive in Calabria. The screenplay draws on his strength: finding humanity in morally compromised characters. Madame Luna asks the question “What price, survival?” as Almaz (Meninet Abraha Teferi) arrives in Italy on a boat of refugees. Although Almaz tries to keep a low profile, her competence and language skills are noted by Nunzia, an erstwhile aid worker, but actually part of a criminal gang. As fierce and fearless Almaz proves her worth to Nunzia’s brothers, excelling at gathering large groups of multicultural workers and persuading them to work for a pittance, her complicated backstory starts to emerge when she meets an attractive Eritrean refugee (Hilyam Weldemichael) who reminds her of her younger self. –Alissa Simon
Content advisory: violence, themes of abuse