a year 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 a section Competitive selection Out of competition Fipatel a category Aspects of French Production Aspects of European Production Special Screenings EuroFipa of honor Passions critiques 20 Years Young Artists

Fleeing the extreme poverty of their native Anjouan, one of the poorest islands in the world, many women in a state of advanced pregnancy make their way to Mayotte. Here, they are virtually in France. Here, they can have their babies without cost and in good conditions. Their hope: a better life for their child, where schooling is free and a “French father” is possible. Illegal immigrants, they set sail on makeshift boats called "kwassas kwassas" for a long, dangerous journey to this French overseas community. Faced with this flood of candidates for exile, Mayotte and the French government have for several months now been stepping up their arsenal in the fight against this immigration. If some manage to reach Mayotte, others, already illegal aliens for a number of years, are now deciding to return to Anjouan because the situation has become poisonous. This has had repercussions on the local economy: ironically, Mayotte has always depended on the work done by these clandestine women - and men - to enrich the island activities and resources. Shuttling between Anjouan and Mayotte, this film is a portrait of several clandestine Mahoran women.

France - 2006 - 56 mn - DV Cam - Colour

Director Pascale Poirier Writer Pascale Poirier Camera Pascale Poirier Sound Marine Raymond Editing Luis Andre

Production Beta Prod, 41, rue Moyenne, BP 282, 18006 Bourges Cedex, France Tél : +33 (0)2 4824 4230 Fax : +33 (0)2 4824 8237 E-mail : info@betaprod.fr

Sales France Télévisions Distribution, 1 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 75015 Paris, France Tél : +33 (0)1 5622 9026 Fax : +33 (0)1 5622 9092 E-mail : l.canault@francetv.com