Ish

Imran
Peretta

(1988, United Kingdom)
 Selected filmography: Ma (2011), 15 Days (2018), The Destructors (2019)

Friends Ish and Maram grow up in Luton, UK, where everyday joys mix with questions of identity, loss, and belonging. Ish is coping with his mother’s death and finds refuge in his friendship with Maram. Maram is closely tied to his Palestinian roots and is deeply affected by news of violence in Gaza. Together, they escape the weight of the world – through football, games, and shared stories. Gradually, reality begins to intrude on their lives. Police checks, distrust, and rising social tension begin to disrupt their safe space. A turning point comes with a police intervention that irreversibly marks their friendship. This authentic film, screened among others at the Toronto festival, captures the fragility of growing up where personal experience intersects with social conflict. It is a story of friendship, identity, and how young people face injustice – sometimes with defiance, sometimes with quiet acceptance.