Enveloped in music, humour and emotion, ALI & AVA is a heartfelt contemporary love story written and directed by BAFTA-nominated Clio Barnard (The Arbor, The Selfish Giant).
Sparks fly after Ali (Adeel Akhtar) and Ava (Claire Rushbrook) meet through their shared affection for Sofia, the child of Ali’s tenants whom Ava teaches. Ali finds comfort in Ava’s warmth and kindness while Ava finds Ali’s complexity and humour irresistible. As the pair begin to form a deep connection, they have to find a way to keep their newfound passion from being overshadowed by the stresses and struggles of their separate lives and histories.
The tender and nuanced performances from the film’s leads, Akhtar and Rushbrook, make for wonderfully compelling chemistry between the couple. Can two lonely souls overcome their doubts and past to find love once again?
"A pair of wonderfully winning performances from Claire Rushbrook and Adeel Akhtar lie at the heart of this unexpectedly warm and typically compelling drama from British writer-director Clio Barnard."
- OBSERVER
"Barnard’s script is crammed with humour and unexpected details."
- LONDON EVENING STANDARD
"A tender tale with two brilliant leads, and one of Barnard’s finest films to date."
- LITTLE WHITE LIES
"Akhtar and Rushbrook give crystalline performances, their characters looking at each other and seeing the chance to be their own whole selves."
- FINANCIAL TIMES
Thursday 30th June
94 min
M
Drama
Palace Balwyn, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Palace Westgarth, Palace Norton Street, The Chauvel Cinema, Palace Barracks, Palace Electric Cinema
