Aisha

Frank Berry’s new feature, Aisha is quiet, very much like the troubles people face in real life – there are no extreme dramatics, and the dominos of Aisha’s struggles cascade silently, piling up one on top of the other. Starring Black Panther’s Letitia Wright and The Crown’s Josh O’Connor; the film explores tight immigration laws, refugees and asylum seekers and their terrible living conditions, and the pressure on young adults immigrating to carry the financial family burdens. Underneath all the layers of legal and bureaucratic debate, there’s a tender friendship and love story between the characters of Aisha (Wright) and Conor (O’Connor).
Aisha is a young woman from Nigeria seeking safety and protection in Ireland. As she awaits her interview with the IPO, a series of misfortunes occur. She is transferred to a different accommodation centre because of insubordinate behaviour, has to deal with the loss of her job, and continuously worries for her mother who remains unsafe in Nigeria due to her father’s debts. She finds comfort in Conor, who works as security at shelter, and has a troubled past of his own. Gradually, their slow-burning friendship turns into something more.
Their growing closeness is exhibited through distance: there’s a lot of separation between them in the beginning, but as they become more comfortable in each other’s presence, the gap closes, and Aisha finally lets her walls down enough for him to touch her. The feature focuses on sensory audio to heighten their growing intimacy, pairing it with uplifting music to elucidate that although Aisha faces a lot, she is not by any means alone. Furthermore, distance is also used to highlight how different Aisha is – in the eyes of Conor, and the eyes of everyone else. Tables, desks and sitting positions remind viewers that Aisha is at the mercy of social services. Small comments on where she’s from and her ability to speak English are subtle forms of alienation.
Aisha is a story about finding a home when there is nowhere else to run to, the kindness of strangers, and the simplicity of having someone there despite the circumstances of life. The uplifting music consistently complements the emotional beats, harmonising well with the ending. It’s not by any means happy, but it’s hopeful and has the chance to go “either way”.
Mae Trumata
Aisha is released on Sky on 17th November 2022.
Watch the trailer for Aisha here:
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