Last Resort

Last Resort is a British drama film directed by Paweł Pawlikowski in his feature film debut, and starring Dina Korzun, Artyom Strelnikov, and Paddy Considine. The film concerns a Russian immigrant and her son who become stranded in a small English seaside town when her British fiancé does not show up as planned. The film had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 22 August 2000 and played at various film festivals to critical acclaim. Pawlikowski won a BAFTA Award, the Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer in British Film; and the FIRESCI Prize at the London Film Festival. Plot Tanya, a young Russian woman, arrives with her 10-year-old son Artyom in London, expecting to be met by her fiancé Mark. When he does not arrive, Tanya panics and claims political asylum, resulting in her and her son being confined to the small seaside town of Stonehaven while their claim is considered, a process she is told could take up to a year. Stonehaven, a former resort town, has been converted into a ''designated holding area'' for undocumented immigrants. Tanya and Artyom are placed in a shabby apartment building that overlooks an abandoned amusement park. The area is patrolled by officers who make sure that refugees don't escape. Tanya, who illustrated children's books in Russia, carries a framed illustration she made amongst her belongings. Tanya is propositioned by Les, an Internet pornographer, to participate in webcam porn videos. Though Tanya is initially wary of the idea, she decides to take up Les' offer when she is desperate for money. As she dresses up in one of the costumes Les gives her and crawls onto the bed, she starts crying and cannot follow through with the video, ultimately leaving. She finds other ways of making money, such as donating blood. Using the holding area's one operating payphone, she is finally able to make contact with Mark, but he breaks up with her.