22 September 2021
UK
2019
Director: Aleem Khan
This debut feature from director Akeem Khan is an intriguing tale of secrets and lies. Mary Hussain converted to Islam when she married her husband Ahmed and has a close and loving relationship with both him and his family. When Ahmed dies suddenly, Mary finds herself to be a widow in her early sixties. Subsequently, she discovers that ferry captain Ahmed had a secret life just twenty- one miles away from their Dover home across the Channel in Calais. This shocking discovery compels Mary to travel to Calais to find out more. As she grapples with her shattered sense of identity, her search for understanding has surprising consequences. Joanna Scanlan, as Mary, offers a masterclass in the dramatic power of understatement in this portrait of people caught between identities and cultures.
Dublin International Film Festival 2021
Dublin Film Critics Award Best Actress (Joanna Scanlan)