Farhan Hasnat, Yahya Kitana, Sudha Bhuchar
The award-winning feature debut of multi-disciplinary artist, musician and filmmaker Imran Perretta, co-written with playwright Enda Walsh and beautifully shot in monochrome by cinematographer Jermaine Canute Edwards, Ish tells a vivid, resonant story about the insidiousness of racial profiling and its profound repercussions.
12-year-old best friends living in Luton, Ish and Maram (played by non-professional actors Farhan Hasnat and Yahya Kitana, themselves friends since childhood) are trying to enjoy their summer, but after an upsetting police stop and search, struggle to retain their friendship. As the ripples take hold, the boys try to make sense of the men they are becoming – and how ‘letting go’ can be the hardest part of growing up.
A deft, compassionate portrait of contemporary British childhood that recalls the work of Shane Meadows in its clear-eyed lyricism, Ish examines the aching experience of being forced to grow up too soon by a society that views you with suspicion and hostility.