Fri 11th November – 19:30 Terry O’Toole Theatre
UK 2020
Dir: Aleem Khan
Cert 12A
89 mins
Starring: Joanna Scanlan, Nathalie Richard, Talid Ariss, Nasser Memarzia
Can we ever truly know the people we think we know best? A partner in a relationship may well harbour desires and needs not at all in keeping with their “real” self that is known to the world. Secrets, lies and double lives are at the very heart of “After Love”. Mary, for decades in a stable and loving marriage with Ahmed, is shattered by her husband’s sudden death. However, to bereavement is added betrayal, as Mary makes the horrific discovery that Ahmed had a second family in France. Quiet and reticent, Mary has always been the devoted wife. In fact she converted to Islam in order to be with Ahmed. On the other hand, her French counterpart Geneviève is gregarious and sophisticated, their home life secular. Everything is seemingly at odds with Ahmed’s life in England, which leads Mary to question her own past and wonder where she now belongs. A poignant, multi-layered film with a standout performance by Joanna Scanlan.
You can view the film notes here.
Trailer:
