Losing Us

17-year-old Gezim and 12-year-old Elira live in a loving Albanian family. Violence in their community and killing of their dad forces them and their mother Luljeta to flee for their lives. They leave their country and finally, after a long journey arrive in the UK, hidden in a van of a Dutch criminal Teske. She hands them over to ruthless human trafficking gangster Mikey who takes them to their new accommodation - one room they all must share in a communal house. Mikey hands them fake passports, according to these Gezim is only 14-years-old and the siblings start attending the local high school. Luljeta, who is a former teacher, takes a job as a cleaner but what she earns is not enough to pay back the gang members. Mikey comes back to collect what she owes him and when Luljeta cannot pay, suggests a lot more sinister form of payment. Seeing no way out and to protect her children, Luljeta finally agrees to Mikey's terms. Soon Luljeta mysteriously disappears, leaving her children Gezim and Elira to fend for themselves without any knowledge of what happened to their mother. Gezim fears the worst and tries to protect his sister, while attempting to figure out how to survive. Gezim's teacher at school notices that something is clearly wrong with him. Elira starts her period and Gezim gets caught stealing sanitary towels from the local shop. Social workers are notified, who show up to take both teenagers into foster care system, but not together.