Hard Hat

In Karan Kandhari's Hard Hat, the titular object is a metaphor for immigrants' first impressions of their new country, Britain. The three guys depicted here feel vulnerable and need protection. Firstly, they are working on a construction site in a bustling central London. Secondly, their work is a cash-in-hand affair. And thirdly, one of the three doesn't speak the language – and at least one of the others doesn't have a great grip on the lingo either. Unfortunately, when they ask for hard hats, they are told, in no uncertain terms, to get lost. And this is just the beginning of their misery.

Strangely, this relatively bleak little film is billed as a comedy. Although there are obvious comic moments (not least the closing few seconds which will undoubtedly squeeze out an uneasy, gasping, titter from an audience) this is essentially a tale of desperation and failure.

But it's a story which needs to be told, and in its own low-key, unassuming way, it's pretty powerful.