On Paper

Hamilton is an Entry Clearance Officer, a Home Office bureaucrat in charge of scrutinising newlyweds who have recently applied for a spouse visa. His job requires him to prove the intangible, demonstrating the true or false nature of the applicants’ love for each other. His judgement is crucial in establishing the authenticity of their bond, and to fail his scrutiny means to risk being singled out as a sham marriage. The abstract precision of a state-run bureaucratic apparatus, however, is pitted against the imperfections of Hamilton’s own less-than-satisfying life and relationships.