Dirty Pretty Things is a 2002 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Steven Knight. The film explores themes of immigration, exploitation, and corruption in contemporary London.
Okwe, the protagonist, is a Nigerian doctor who left his home country due to political persecution. However, he is unable to work as a doctor in the UK due to his immigration status. Instead, he works as a taxi driver during the day and a night porter at the hotel in the evening.
Senay, a Turkish woman, also works at the hotel as a cleaner. She is in the UK illegally and is constantly afraid of being caught by immigration authorities. Despite their different backgrounds, Okwe and Senay form a bond and try to help each other survive in a hostile environment.
The hotel is owned by a shady figure named Sneaky, who is involved in various criminal enterprises. One of his associates, Juan, convinces Okwe to perform surgery on a female sex worker who is in danger of dying. Okwe reluctantly agrees, using the hotel room as an operating theatre. However, Okwe later discovers that the sex worker died during the surgery and that Juan has been selling her organs on the black market.
Things get even more complicated when Juliette, a hotel guest, befriends Okwe and reveals that she is a prostitute. She asks Okwe to help her obtain a new passport so that she can leave the sex trade. However, when Okwe accompanies her to the passport office, he discovers that Juliette is actually a border officer who is trying to catch illegal immigrants.
Eventually, Senay is caught by immigration authorities and deported back to Turkey. Okwe is also forced to leave the UK, but he manages to smuggle Senay's passport to her in Istanbul, enabling her to start a new life.
Dirty Pretty Things was praised for its realistic portrayal of the difficulties faced by immigrants, as well as its tense plot and strong performances. The film was nominated for numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
