A dark and claustrophobic film, this brutal, tragic, gut-wrenching drama is set almost totally within the confines of a ship's cargo container that is only 25 square meters in size. It is the grim story of six ill-fated refugees trying to get to Canada from a port in France. The police are in hot pursuit when the septet of strangers are stowed away in the huge metal box. The refugees -- two men, two women and two children -- are of various backgrounds including Gypsy, Russian and Arab. The first of many problems occurs when a mother and daughter arrive with no food (they lost it during a chase). The one Russian refugee, Roman, declares that they should not be allowed to board the ship, but the other three refugees allow them in. Their ordeal begins when the ship breaks down in Liverpool.

Deux hommes, deux femmes et deux enfants ont réussi à se glisser dans un conteneur au fond de la cale d'un cargo en direction du Canada. Coincés dans 25 mètres carrés, le sort de ces immigrés clandestins sera pour le moins incertain. «Je pense que je me serais suicidé si l'on n'avait pu tourner le film.» (Denis Chouinard)