The Road: a Story of Life and Death

Striving to show how individuals fare in a melting-pot community, documentary film-maker Marc Isaacs follows the A5 from Holyhead to Cricklewood to offer an insight into the lives of aspiring Irish singer Keelta, retired labourer Billy, 95-year-old Jewish lady Peggy (who fled from the Nazis in 1938), German air hostess-turned-hostel owner Brigitte, Indian hotel concierge Iqbal and exiled Burmese Buddhist Nomm. Each has a fascinating tale to tell, but Isaacs doesn't afford them equal screen time, so a couple of potentially intriguing stories are neglected. However, his focus on Peggy and Billy is understandable, as her recollections of leaving Austria and subsequent unhappy marriage contrast so poignantly with his alcoholic struggle to replace the camaraderie he had known while working in the construction industry. The local atmosphere is deftly caught, but the personalities ultimately prove as elusive as their dreams.