When he was in the UK for his promotional tour of EASTERN BOYS, we asked director and writer Robin Campillo to pen a few words on the complexities of his home-invasion-thriller-come-love-story. This is what he wrote:

“Far from casting judgment on the situation of illegal immigrants, or from being a reflection on paternity, this film first and foremost follows the logic of its fictional narrative. It portrays characters living clandestinely that represent both a danger and a promise for one another. Much like Daniel who, when faced with these young men from the East, oscillates between fear and desire, the film threads its way through ambiguous feelings, borderline, indeed marginal situations, but also, I do hope, through moments of pure jubilation.”

ROBIN CAMPILLO – BIOGRAPHY

Robin Campillo was born in Morocco on August 16th 1962. Because his father was in the army, he and his family moved around a great deal during his childhood and part of his adolescence. During this period, movies became a main theme of his existence. In Madagascar, at the age of 9, he discovered Godard’s ALPHAVILLE in a military theatre where the film was booed. Following this experience he developed a passionate interest for cinema and an array of filmmakers ranging from Jacques Demy to Mario Bava. In 1983 he enrolled in the IDHEC film school (Institute for Advanced Cinema Studies). After graduating, however, he took a break from his film career to dedicate his time to the fight against AIDS. Finally, in the mid-nineties he began a long and fruitful collaboration with Laurent Cantet as co-screenwriter and editor. In 2004 Robin Campillo directed his first feature film THEY CAME BACK, which later became Channel 4’s THE RETURNED.