Aisha (2022 film)
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Aisha is a 2022 Irish drama film written and directed by Frank Berry. The film stars Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor.
Nigerian refugee Aisha Osagie develops a close friendship with former prisoner Conor Healy. Their friendship, however, soon looks to be short lived as Aisha’s quest to be granted asylum in the Republic of Ireland comes under threat.
Aisha had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on 11 June 2022, and was released in the United Kingdom on 17 November 2022, by Sky Cinema.
Plot[edit]
Nigerian refugee Aisha Osagie has been living in the UK over a year when she finally is given her interview to argue her case to stay.
When Irish immigration removes a woman and her family from Aisha’s refugee accomodation centre, who Aisha feels are like family, she is devastated.
In the centre Aisha, like the other refugees, is treated unkindly. She missed her bus into work one day due to having to wait for an important letter they were slow to give her, she’s not allowed to give her deported friend a proper goodbye, she’s not allowed to prepare proper halal meat in the microwave although she bought it with her own earnings…
In Aisha’s quest to be granted asylum in the Republic of Ireland, an immigration lawyer helps her prepare for her upcoming interview. He encourages her to give as much detail as possible about the incident that provoked her asylem-seeking. Aisha tells him about a group of men who came after her father and brother because of an unpaid debt.
Former prisoner Conor Healy, a night security guard in the centre, and Aisha form a friendship. He kindly lets her into the kitchen to prepare the helal meat. They also share details about themselves when they ride to town on the bus, she going to her part-time job in a beauty salon and he going home at his shift’s end.
As the guards are not meant to fraternise with the refugees, Conor turns off the security camera when they interact in the kitchen. One night, Aisha goes downstairs to talk to him, cries a bit, then has to leave before another comes in. In the morning, before Conor leaves for home, he checks in on her to let her know she can count on him when she needs to talk.
Aisha is abruptly transferred to another centre far away the next afternoon. She has to quit the salon job, won’t be able to see her immigration lawyer and lets Conor know, so he comes to see her off. Although he offers to accompany Aisha to help get her settled, she thinks their friendship needs be ended.
The new facility, far from any towns, doesn’t offer any possibility for Aisha to use her work permit. The coordinator from the centre has labeled her insubordinate and she shares a living space with a young Asian woman.
At her immigration interview we learn that Aisha is married, but one day he left and she has no idea where he is. She paid a trafficker to get her passport, tourist visa and passage to Ireland. Her father and brother were killed because he couldn’t pay back money for her university fees. The money lender suggested Aisha prostitute herself to pay him back and she was sexually assaulted.
Conor finds Aisha at the interview site, as he remembers when it was scheduled. Outside, he runs into a group of guys, one of which he met in prison. When Aisha asks, Conor explains he was an addict. He was released six years ago and has been clean for three.
A few days later, Aisha’s asylum request is denied. She breaks the news to her mother, but requests an appeal. Conor turns up, and tells her he has feelings for her. Aisha does too, but doesn’t think she has any future. Soon after she gets a call that her mother has died. Aisha requests emergency passaage to Nigeria for the funeral, but is told it would invalidate her asylum request.
Upset, Aisha starts breaking things in their unit. Deemed uninhabital, she must pack up her things and go. Aisha gets sent to another remote location, where she is to stay in a multibed dorm room. Shortly after a call with her immigration lawyer, she gets herself hit by a car.
comes under threat.
Cast[edit]
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- Letitia Wright as Aisha Osagie
- Josh O’Connor as Conor Healy
- Lorcan Cranitch as Peter Flood
- Denis Conway as Brendan Close
- Stuart Graham as Francis Manning
- Ian Toner as Liam Cantwell
- Ruth McCabe as Mrs. Keegan
- Dawn Bradfield as Michelle Campbell
- Theresa O’Connor as Deirde O’Dea
- Rosemary Aimiyekagbon as Moraya Osagie
- Emmanuel Hassan as Abdul Momoh
- Yemisi Ojo as Bes Emenaha
- Antionette Doyle as Habiba Momoh
- Tara Flynn as Catherine Levy
- Florence Adebambo as Ruykaya Momoh
- Aisling Reid as Louise Sheeran
Production[edit]
In March 2021, it was announced Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor would star in the film Provision written and directed by Frank Berry.[2] Principal photography began in April 2021.[3] In June 2021, the film was renamed Aisha.[4]
Release[edit]
Aisha had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2022.[5] It also screened at the BFI London Film Festival on October 6, 2022.[6][7] It was released in Ireland and the United Kingdom on November 17, 2022, via Sky Cinema.[8]
Reception[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 15 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[9]
Michael Nordine of Variety praises Wright for her performance, and the film for its naturalistic style, and concludes “The result isn’t quite Kafka, but it’s closer than it should be.”[10]
References[edit]
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External links[edit]
- Aisha at IMDb
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