Brief

Themis is leaving behind her life in Brazil to start a new chapter in the UK after facing harsh experiences (her best friend died in a car accident, and her husband cheated on her, as we later find out). When she arrives at the London airport, she gets stopped by security who inspects her luggage -- that moment changes her life. As she adjusts to the new culture, she finds a job as a supermarket checkout operator to a British civil servant. Mistreated and prejudiced, she quits and starts working as an assistant in the Tax Administration Department. A few years later, she gets a job as an immigration officer, working for Immigration and Border Control at the airport. Themis becomes a very successful border control officer, encountering many people with unique motivations and dealing with ethical dilemmas along the way. She also meets a police officer who helps her rebuild her life.

What We Liked

Immigration is a hot topic. People would easily sympathize with the diversity of characters and their motivations, experiences, and challenges. The main character, Themis, is also an immigrant starting a new life in a new country. Ironically, her task is to decide whether immigrants should be allowed entry into the UK to begin a new life. She has quickly acquired a reputation for turning people away. She takes the audience behind the scenes of the British immigration system, which is rarely seen in movies or TV shows.

Film: As a movie, Passport Please would be better served by focusing more on Themis’s story, rather than passengers, since there would not be enough time to develop it fully. A flashback to her life (before getting to the UK) could be triggered by two or three passengers and their motivations. Although there are some reality shows and documentaries about border control at airports, the inner workings of immigration are rarely explored in movies or TV shows, especially considering the human aspect.

TV: As a series, Passport Please has many characters and great stories to be explored. There could be an episode for each passenger and their reason for visiting the UK, highlighting diversity and reaching different audiences. Through flashbacks, it is possible to explore insight into the characters’ motivations and Themis's reasons to decide their fate. Comedy, drama, and romance all have their place in this story.

Key points:
1. Immigration
2. Dreams come true
3. Happy ending
4. Meaningful message
5. Low budget

Synopsis

It was a September morning in 2001 when Themis decided to change her life. She left behind her life in Brazil to start a new chapter in the UK after facing harsh experiences (her best friend died in a car accident, and her husband cheated on her, as we later find out).

When she arrives at the London airport, several armed police officers in the airport make the place look like a battlefield. The world was shaken to the core by the attacks on the World Trade Center in the United States. While the customs officer proceeded with his inspection of her belongings, she observed how the airport workers went about their tasks. Something about this environment fascinated her.

It has been years since that moment in the airport changed her life. Now, after six long weeks of a training course, she has secured her position as an immigration officer, working for Immigration and Border Control at the airport. Balder is her supervisor and mentor for the first few weeks and shows her how to recognize liars trying to get into the country illegally. On her first day working at the airport, she had to deal with a Brazilian guy lying about his purposes. In her first case, she refused his entrance.

The passenger's stories remind her of the time she first moved to the UK. She had to adjust to the new culture and face prejudice from her former bosses while serving at a fast-food restaurant in a shopping center and as a supermarket checkout operator to a British civil servant. Humiliated, worthless, not able to defend herself from injustices due to the language barrier. Three years later, though, she successfully joined the civil service and worked in the government department as an assistant in the Tax Administration Department. She jumped straight into her dream job as an immigration officer.

To get to the airport, she had to learn how to drive. At one point, she ran out of gas in the middle of the road. Cops stopped to check her out, and one of them was a handsome police officer; he gave her his number in case she needed anything. Days later, the police officer shows up as a trainee volunteer at immigration control in the airport. His name was Matt, and he wanted to see Themis again. Once they got along, they started dating.

At this point, Themis was already a highly successful border control officer, encountering many people with unique motivations and dealing with ethical dilemmas along the way. One of the passengers, Isis, was a young Brazilian girl seeking a legal abortion procedure in the UK. Themis suspects that something isn't right and finds out that the girl's fiance forced her to have an abortion against her will. She prevented Isis from entering the country and managed to send her home safely. Isis expressed gratitude to Themis for saving her child. A few years later, Themis got married to Matt, and they now have a son.

About The Author

Patricia Pepper was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and she holds a Masters’ Degree in Bilingual Translation from the University of Westminster in the UK. She spent more than ten years working for the British Civil Service, first as an HMRC official and then an immigration officer. In 2016, she established her own company as an immigration advisor and had published articles on the subject.