Ae Fond Kiss... (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Ken Loach

Writer:

Paul Laverty (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 July 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Sparks fly in Glasgow's south side when a young Pakistani man enters into a relationship with a Caucasian woman.

Plot Keywords:

Pakistani | Glasgow Scotland | Music Teacher | Priest | Racism

Awards:

7 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Atta Yaqub	...	Casim Khan
Eva Birthistle	...	Roisin Hanlon
Ahmad Riaz	...	Tariq Khan
Shamshad Akhtar	...	Sadia Khan
Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh	...	Tahara Khan (as Shabana Bakhsh)
Ghizala Avan	...	Rukhsana Khan
David McKay	...	Wee Roddie
Raymond Mearns	...	Big Roddie
Gary Lewis	...	Danny
Shy Ramsan	...	Hamid
Emma Friel	...	Annie
Karen Fraser	...	Elsie
John Yule	...	Headmaster
Ruth McGhie	...	Mary Nolan
Father David Wallace	...	Father David

Also Known As:

A Fond Kiss... (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
Just a Kiss (Europe: English title)
Sólo un beso (Spain)
Un bacio appassionato (Italy)
Un beso (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | Belgium | Germany | Italy | Spain

Language:

English | Punjabi

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Brazil:16 | Spain:13 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Singapore:R21 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company:

Bianca Film

Trivia:

The title refers to the Robert Burns poem, "Ae Fond Kiss".

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Telma demain (2005)

Soundtrack:

A Man's A Man For A' That

Masterpiece of social realism

I saw Loach's new work at the Berlin festival and was stunned. Usually, I'm not very much into his films as he gets a little to preachy for me at times. Still, I respect him for taking up subject matters other directors avoid nowadays - most of all British working class stories. "Ae fond kiss" to me is his masterpiece. It's the first film I've seen that really brings across all the complexities of intercultural relationships. It resists the temptation to judge or mock the conservative islamic family while making clear that its sympathies are with the bicultural couple. It doesn't give any easy answers but shows that sometimes you can only choose between bad and worse - but choose you must if you still want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror. A friend of mine is Afghan, and the film reminded me a lot of the problems she is going through, balancing between family tradition and Western culture. So if you're interested in a deep, aching but also hopeful look into the intercultural reality of our European societies, go and see "Ae fond kiss". Its Berlin awards are well deserved.