Saddled with debt, Oleg (the affecting Valentin Novopolskij), a noncitizen Latvian butcher, takes a job at an industrial abattoir in Belgium. Everything goes smoothly at first, and even though he’s sharing a flat with other Eastern Europeans, he’s able to send money back to his granny in Latvia. But a false accusation at the meat factory soon leads to his being fired. When a charismatic Polish conman (Dawid Ogrodnik) comes to his aid, the stage is set for Oleg’s gradual slide into grievous exploitation and modern-day slavery. A standout at this year’s Cannes Film Festival that benefits from strong performances and cinematic flair, this sensitive and gripping film offers a timely look at an insidious social problem. In a year in which the travails of immigrants marks a major cinematic theme, the naturalistic Oleg offers a ferocious critique of the systems that allow for these abhorrent labor practices.

Winner: Grand Prix, Brussels; Best Director, Palić; Best Feature, Valletta