Avi and Ava (2021)
(Clio Barnard, UK 2021, 95 min., DCP)
Director Clio Barnard (The Arbor) sets her latest dramedy in the city of Bradford in the North of England. Ali (Adeel Akhtar) is a Bengal-British Muslim, a DJ, and a property manager that gets along well with his tenants. He lives with his estranged wife while keeping up the facade of a happy marriage. Ava (Claire Rushbrook) is a widowed teaching assistant at the local school whose house is constantly filled with the sounds of her various children and grandchildren. When the two meet by happenstance, these lonely people find a way toward hoping for a different future and a second chance. Though firmly rooted in the tradition of British social realism, the script and performances bring forth a warmth and optimism rarely seen in these films. “Ali & Ava is a nuanced slice of life that is generous to all its characters, even as it recognises the magnitude of the challenges they face.” — Sophie Monks Kaufman, Sight and Sound