London Film Festival 2021: ‘Ali & Ava’ – Love across the divides in northern noir romance (video)

Set in Bradford, this is a movie with heart and soul…

TWO very different individuals, Ali (Bafta winning Adeel Akhtar) and Ava (Claire Rushbrook) enter in to an unexpected romance – having been introduced by chance on a ‘school run’.
Set in Bradford in north England, an area which has been riven by racial tensions, the romance takes the characters on a journey as they battle both personal, cultural and familial demons that could derail their friendship, let alone anything more.
Inspired by German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘Ali: Fear Eats the Soul’ – music – and dance music especially for Ali – plays an integral part in bringing the two together and crossing what may appear as immutable racial and cultural barriers.
This is far from a syrupy romcom for which the UK/England is famous and introduces us to Northern Noir and the beauty of the landscape, as well the people there.
Shot subtly, in a social realism mode, in a town in which writer-director Clio Barnard has worked in before, ‘Ali & Ava’ is skilfully realised and is brought to the screen with fine acting, intelligently and sensitively and has a reflective and uplifting sentiment to it.
It is set for release in the UK in February 2022.
These interviews were held at the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s Special Presentation on October 13 2021 at the Southbank Centre during London Film Festival (October 6-17).

Production credits

Presenter/Producer: Sailesh Ram
Filming/editing: Adrianne McKenzie