Ali & Ava is a 2021 British drama film written and directed by Clio Barnard. The film stars Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook in the lead roles.
| Ali & Ava | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Clio Barnard |
| Written by | Clio Barnard |
| Produced by | Tracy O'Riordan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ole Bratt Birkeland |
| Edited by | Maya Maffioli |
| Music by | Harry Escott |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Altitude (UK) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $886,982[2] |
Ali & Ava had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section on 11 July 2021 and was released in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2022.
Ali, a man of Pakistani descent, lives with his soon-to-be ex-wife, who still mourns the loss of their unborn child. Ava, recently widowed, lives with her adult children, some of whom have children of their own. The two meet one day at the school where Ava works when Ali drops off his tenant's daughter. A friendship, built on a mutual love of music, gradually develops between the two, and deepens into something more as the couple struggles to overcome their respective familial entanglements and prejudices.
In January 2020, it was announced that Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook had joined the cast of the film, with Clio Barnard directing from a screenplay she wrote. BBC Film would produce, and Altitude Film Distribution was set to distribute in the United Kingdom.[3][4]
The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section on 11 July 2021.[5]
The film received a score of 94% from 85 critics, with a 7.6/10 average rating. The critical consensus reads, "Ali & Ava 's tender, naturalistic love story adds another powerful chapter to writer-director Clio Barnard's filmography".[6]