AceShowbiz - Filmmaker Imran Perretta makes a powerful debut with his feature film, Ish, a lyrical exploration of racial injustice and its profound impact on young lives. Co-written with Enda Walsh (known for Die My Love and Hunger) and developed with producer Dhiraj Mahey through their company Primal Pictures in collaboration with BBC Film, Ish centers on two best friends whose lives are irrevocably altered by a racially profiled police stop-and-search incident. The film has already garnered significant acclaim, winning the audience award at the prestigious Venice Critics’ Week.

Set to screen at the 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival (LFF), Ish stars Farhan Hasnat, Yahya Kitana, and Sudha Bhuchar. A note on the LFF website describes the film’s protagonists, Ish and Maram, as “barely teenagers who endure police harassment and its seismic repercussions.” The description further praises the film’s artistic merits, stating, “Naturalistic performances, an atypical score (also composed by multi-disciplinary artist Perretta) and lyrical, monochrome images make this a standout British film, which stands up for characters who are too often marginalized — both onscreen and off.”

Insights into the film's creation were shared during an LFF Industry Days session titled Anatomy of a Debut: Ish. Writer-director Perretta, producer Mahey, and co-writer Walsh participated in the discussion, moderated by former BAFTA head of programs Mariayah Kaderbhai. The session offered a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborative process and the deeply personal origins of the coming-of-age narrative.

When asked about the genesis of Ish, Perretta revealed that the project allowed him to “plumb the depths of my youth and teenage experience.” He recounted a pivotal moment from his own life that profoundly shaped the film’s themes. “Baked into this idea of the coming-of-age narrative is this idea of the loss of innocence,” he explained. “And for me, if I was being honest with myself, the moment that I grew up at a time when I didn’t want to was the first time I was dragged into a van by the police. And that happened when I was 13. It was definitely the moment that I sort of became an adult.”

The filmmaker shared that it took him years to fully grasp the impact of that traumatic event. He described Ish as being “about heartbreak and loss with a political meta-narrative,” adding that it’s ultimately about “self-determining who you are in the world.” While rooted in Perretta’s personal history, the film evolved into a rich creative collaboration, a point emphasized by all three panelists during the discussion.

Walsh, reflecting on his involvement, expressed his admiration for the project from its early stages. “The soul of the piece was really, really beautiful,” he shared, highlighting the compelling emotional core that drew him to co-write the screenplay. This collaborative spirit, combined with a deeply personal narrative, makes Ish a poignant and powerful cinematic statement on racial injustice and the enduring search for identity.