In this dual language blog, Elissa Hunter-Dorrans, a Gaelic-speaking film student based in the Highlands, looks at how Clio Barnard’s new drama uses music as a storytelling device to flesh out characters, bridge cultural divides and overcome conflict.
The opening scene of Ali & Ava is of Ali (Adeel Akhtar), standing on the roof of his car, violently headbanging away his reality to the sound of his headphones’ bass-heavy electro beats. There is a dull blue wash over the haziness of his isolated location and a sense of freedom to his wild, jagged dance moves. It marks the beginning of a love story told through a spellbinding soundtrack of techno, country and folk music. Similarly, one of the film’s first sightings of Ava shows her sitting quietly at the rain-streaked window of a commuter bus, lost in a world of country music as she listens on small wired earbuds, staring wistfully into the abyss. In this moment, she is singer Sammi Smith, longing for escape from her dreary and lonely home.
Ali & Ava, written and directed by Clio Barnard, employs the universal language of music to explore two middle-aged Bradford dreamers - Ali, a separated but still married British Asian man, and Ava, a separated but widowed classroom assistant of Irish Catholic descent. It is a story of love, loss, culture and the tender kindness of community, even in the darkest of hours.
The musical introductions to our protagonists really set the tone of the film, and ultimately their goal - the search for freedom and euphoria outside the constraints of class, culture and commitment. This relief is found as Ali and Ava kindle a passionate yet unconventional love - despite the relentless familial obstacles between them - finding salvation in each other from the loneliness and monotony of their realities.
As their love unfolds on screen, we find that music is again employed as a storytelling device which allows us to understand the characters’ backgrounds, challenges, and ultimately their feelings for one another in a way that seems unique to their own relationship. It is through the sharing and (at first reluctant) appreciation of each other’s dramatically contrasting music tastes that we see their connection first start to bloom, as they have a mutual silent disco in Ava’s living room. They swap music with each other and tenderly explore the importance and emotional significance of each other’s tastes as they share stories of their lives and dreams through song. It is a scene of childlike ecstasy, as we see two older characters frolic around with pillows and flailing dance moves to the music of Karen Dalton and the Buzzcocks, as they are simultaneously united, yet swept away from reality in a dizzyingly euphoric sequence.
Ali and Ava’s love is heavy and passionate, quiet and tender - just like the music that connects them. The skillful sound editing of Rashad Hall-Heinz creates a distinctly thrilling effect as the sometimes unsettlingly stark images of real life in Bradford’s backstreets are harshly scored by the thunderous beats of Ali’s escapist DJ-ing - suggesting the idea that he has found a second more peaceful ‘home’ in the form of their gentle relationship. This idea of Ali’s change to a more settled state of mind after meeting Ava is strengthened by his switch from listening to electro music to softly playing country and folk ballads, specifically the music of Bob Dylan, as their story unfolds - showing the sanctuary he finds within her.
We see throughout the film that music is found to be a language that unites and inspires people of all walks of life, not only the romance of Ali and Ava. Ali skillfully uses the power of song, namely ‘Radio’ by Sylvan Esso, to diffuse a situation with some of Ava’s unruly school pupils, to distract himself from his difficult home situation and to boost his motivation for daily life. Ava fondly remembers the Irish rebel songs that her father was so fond of, and gently sings them to her granddaughter as a lullaby, soothing her to sleep. These innately human interactions depicted on screen greatly add to the film’s refreshingly naturalistic and mature portrayal of its characters, bringing to the screen a warm and optimistic view of ageing life, love and romance.
Lèirmheas Ali + Ava
Ann an t-‘sealladh’ fosglaidh an fhilm, tha Ali (Adeel Akhtar), na sheasamh air mullach a’ chàir aige, a’ dannsa air falbh an fhìrinn gu fòirneartach, le fuaim buillean electro bass-trom na fònaichean-cluaise mòra aige, agus tha seo a’ comharrachadh toiseach sgeulachd gaoil a chaidh innse tro clàr-fuaim àlainn de cheòl techno, ceòl dùthchail agus ceòl traidiseanta. Tha dath dubh-ghorm ann air an sgrìn, le ceò na h-àite iomallach aig Ali mun cuairt air - le seorsa de dh’ shaorsa a’ tighinn bhon dannsa fiadhaich, biorach aige. Coltach ris a seo, anns a’ chiad ‘sealladh’ de Ava san fhilm, tha i na suidhe gu sàmhach aig uinneag air bus luchd-siubhail, air chall ann an saoghal ceòl dùthchail ‘s i ag èisteachd air fònaichean-cluaise beaga, a’ coimhead gu dùrachdach a-steach don àibheis. Aig an àm seo, is Ava an seinneadair Sammi Nic a’ Ghobhainn, a’ miannachadh air teicheadh bhon dachaigh dhonn is aonaranach aice.
Tha Ali & Ava, air a sgrìobhadh agus air a stiùireadh le Clio Bernard, a’ cleachdadh cànan ciùil uile-choitcheann gus a bhith a’ leantainn sgeulachd romansa sòisealta-fìrinneach de dithis luchd-bruadar Bradford meadhan-aoiseach - Ali, fear Àisianach Breatannach a tha dealaichte ach fhathast pòsta, agus Ava, boireannach a tha dealaichte ach na banntraich, le freumhan Caitligeach Èireannach. Is e sgeulachd a th’ ann mu ghaol, call, cultar agus coimhearsnachd, eadhon anns na h-uairean as dorcha.
Bha na ro-ràdh ciùil seo dha ar prìomh charactaran a’ suidheachadh tòna an fhilm, agus aig a’ cheann thall an amas - a bhith a’ lorg saorsa agus toileachas taobh a-muigh cuingealachaidhean clas, cultair agus dealas. Tha am faochadh seo ri lorg nuair a tha Ali agus Ava a’ lasadh gaol dìoghrasach ach neo-ghnàthach - a dh’ aindeoin na cnapan-starra teaghlaich a tha eatorra - a’ lorg saoradh ann an càch a chèile bho aonaranachd agus aon-ghnè an fhìrinn.
Mar a bhios an gaol a’ leudachadh air an sgrion, tha sinn a’ faighinn a-mach gu bheil ceòl air a chleachdadh a-rithist mar inneal sgeulachd a leigeas leinn cùl-fhiosrachadh nan caractaran, an dùbhlain, agus aig a’ cheann thall na faireachdainnean aca dha chèile a thuigsinn ann an dòigh a tha sònraichte don dàimh aca fhèin. Is ann tro bhith a’ roinneadh am blasan ciùil a tha gu math eadar-dhealaichte bho chèile, a chì sinn an ceangal gaoil aca a’ tòiseachadh, tron disco sàmhach aca ann an seòmar-suidhe Ava. Bidh iad ag èisteachd ri ceòl ri chèile agus a’ sgrùdadh gu tairgse cho cudromach sa tha blasan-ciùil don dithis agus iad a’ roinn sgeulachdan mu am beathannan agus am bruadaran tro òrain. Is e sealladh de eacstasachd cloinne a th’ ann, agus sinn a’ faicinn dà charactar nas sine a’ dol mun cuairt le cluasagan agus a’ dannsa gu ceòl Karen Dalton agus na Buzzcocks, leis gu bheil iad aonaichte tro cheòl, ach air an sguabadh air falbh bho fhìrinn ann an sreath dòrainneach àlainn.
Tha gaol Ali agus Ava trom agus dìoghrasach, sàmhach agus tairgse - dìreach mar a’ cheòl a tha gan ceangal. Tha an deasachadh fuaim sgileil de Rashad Hall-Heinz a’ cruthachadh buaidh air leth inntinneach leis gu bheil na h-ìomhaighean a tha uaireannan neo-shoilleir de bheatha fhìor air cùl-shràidean Bradford air an sgòradh gu cruaidh le buillean tàirneanach an ceòl aig Ali - a’ moladh a’ bheachd gu bheil e air ‘dachaigh’ sìtheil eile a lorg ann an cruth an dàimh socaireach eadarra. Tha am beachd seo air atharrachadh Ali gu suidheachadh inntinn nas socraiche às deidh dha coinneachadh ri Ava air a neartachadh leis an atharrachadh aige bho bhith ag èisteachd ri ceòl electro gu bhith a’ cluich gu socair duanagan dùthchail is traidiseanta rithe, gu sònraichte ceòl Bob Dylan, mar a bhios an sgeulachd aca a’ leudachadh - a’ sealltainn an tearmann a lorg e taobh a-staigh Ava.
Chì sinn tron fhilm gu bheil ceòl air a lorg mar chànan a tha ag aonachadh agus a’ brosnachadh dhaoine de gach seòrsa beatha, chan ann a-mhàin romansa Ali agus Ava. Bidh Ali gu sgileil a’ cleachdadh cumhachd òran, gu sònraichte ‘Radio’ le Sylvan Esso, gus suidheachadh duilich a sgaoileadh le cuid de sgoilearan mì-mhodhail Ava, agus gus e fhèin a tharraing air falbh bhon t-suidheachadh dachaigh dhoirbh aige; agus gus a bhrosnachadh airson cumail air a dol sam beatha làitheil. Tha cuimhne aig Ava air na h-orain reubaltaich Èireannach air an robh a h-athair cho measail, agus bidh i gan seinn gu socair dha h-ogha mar tàladh, a' toirt toileachas dhi cadal. Tha na tachartasan daonnail seo a tha air an sealltainn air an sgrion a’ cur gu mòr ri dealbh ùrachail nàdarrach is aibidh an fhilm de romansa, a’ toirt sealladh blàth is dòchasach air beatha is gaol a tha a’ fàs nas sine - do luchd-amhairc de gach aois.
Ali & Ava is screening at Eden Court from Fri 18 – Thu 24 Mar.
This was blog was written and translated into Gaelic by:
With support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery.
