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.
Review of A Fond Kiss
