Refuge England – 1959 | 27 mins | Documentary, Short | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Refuge England is a 27-minute documentary first shown in 1959. The film follows a Hungarian refugee arriving in damp London by train, speaking no English and with little money, he must seek an address in Love Lane given him by a fellow refugee. He makes poignant observations about British society whilst observing the sights and people of the metropolis, playing the critical pedestrian. He meets a fellow lost immigrant; is bewildered by the public’s novel attempts to give directions; ponders how those passing-by will respond to working with him and when he’ll be greeted like a local in the street. Finally, as night falls and after much disappointment, he finds the correct address and receives food and shelter. Robert Vas was provided with a £400 grant from the BFI Experimental Film Fund, and assisted by a small crew, notably cinematographer Walter Lassally, the took in the sights and sounds of an autumnal London to create a short film that seamlessly blends documentary and drama and signals the potential of the post-Free Cinema feature.