Ish + Q&A

We are proud to welcome director Imran Perretta, producer Dhiraj Mahey and co-writer Enda Walsh for a Q&A following the screening.

“A complex, compassionate drama” ★★★★ The Guardian

Ish (Farhan Hasnat) and Maram (Yahya Kitani) are life-long friends, even if they’re only twelve. It’s a long summer in their hometown Luton, and the streets are calling. They play somewhere between childish games and adult danger, but when Maram is dragged into a traumatic stop and search he pulls away from his friend. Can they find their way back to each other?

One of the year’s best debuts, Ish is the rare film that moves beyond stereotypes and well-worn focuses to find a different, deeper story about modern Britain. Intimately linked with its setting in Luton, this is nonetheless a portrait of our country that is compellingly recognisable anywhere. It’s deftly drawn – not least because of its stunning black and white cinematography – and sharply scripted. Co-written by playwright and screenwriter Enda Walsh (Small Things Like These, Hunger) it marks director Imran Peretta out as a talent to watch.

Programmed in collaboration with Filmscope CIC.