Escaping the Sri Lankan Civil War, a couple and a girl—all complete strangers—seek refuge in France. Posing as a family, they settle outside Paris. Supporting each other like a real family, Dheepan, the father, finds work as a custodian; Yalini, the mother, gets a job as a caregiver; and the daughter, Illayaal, adjusts to school life. Unfortunately, the place they’ve chosen as a home is in the middle of a gangland, and the family must cope with the threat. Though the subject of immigrants in France has become quite commonplace in films in recent years, Dheepan, winner of Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, breathes fresh life into the theme with an unassuming narrative that is both thrilling and rhythmic. The transition from a pretend family into a real family—forged by the necessity to survive and heightened by the tension of encroaching gangsters as well as an explosive scene in which Dheepan’s anger finally erupts—all reaffirm Audiard’s strength as a seasoned director. Additionally, the use of non-professional actors, new attempt of the director, infuses the film with an added sense of realism. (RHEE Soue-won)