Homosexuality remains illegal in 69 countries around the world. Queer life in some of those countries is so dangerous that many people leave everything behind and endure long, torturous journeys, illegally crossing borders, over months, or sometimes years, to claim asylum and find freedom in a more accepting land. We´ll Find Happiness, a powerful drama by director Lea Pool, dives into the complex odysseys undertaken by two such people, Reza (Aron Archer) and Saad (Mehdi Meskar), a gay male couple from Iran and Morocco, as they seek to claim asylum in Canada.

We meet them together in Montreal, where they are both claiming asylum. For reasons that become apparent, Saad´s immigration case is more advanced than Reza´s. He is working freely as a cab driver in Montreal, whilst Reza is on the run from the Canadian immigration authorities, hiding out in the basement of a church. If Reza gets deported back to Iran, he faces arrest and a likely death. Desperate to help his partner, the handsome Saad jumps at the opportunity to seduce Laurent (Alexandre Landry), an attractive official at the Ministry of Immigration, in hopes of influencing Reza´s case. This sets off a tense chain of events that permanently changes both men’s lives.

Set across Iran, Morocco, Spain, France and Canada, We´ll Find Happiness is like peeling an onion, slowly revealing different past layers, each more complex than the last. Both men have circuitous, brutal pasts, as well as presents. Their back stories slowly come together, intertwined with their unpredictable present situation. It´s a difficult, poignant, realistic story, beautifully written by Michel Marc Bouchard, and brought to life with passion by Pool.

Archer and Meskar share great chemistry as a desperate couple. Meskar is particularly standout as he spins various very different life plates to help his lover. Pool has taken what could be a headline-grabbing story that could provoke knee-jerk reactions, and provided warmth, depth and humanity to a heartfelt narrative currently being played out countless times around the world. It´s a timely tale, with asylum and migration hot political potatoes in many countries, many people forgetting that with very low birth rates across most Western nations, immigration is necessary for their economic survival. The men just want to live normal lives, together as a couple, but come across obstacle after obstacle, some self-inflicted. The Canadian asylum system, whilst well-meaning, is inadequate in the face of different cultures, particularly in the public questioning of gay men coming from countries where admission to queerness is uncomfortable. It´s a well-paced film, covering a period of a few years. Yves Belanger´s cinematography effortlessly conveys the contrast between their often beautiful surroundings and the hopelessness of their situations, particularly in one harrowing, unforgettable scene in Iran. It’s a well-produced film with a handsome cast, a tale of perseverance, and, ultimately, a very special love story. 

PS  If you would like to help queer refugees in the UK, then check out the excellent Micro Rainbow charity microrainbow.org