The director of a critically acclaimed new film found his young cast of first-time actors by visiting schools and youth clubs.
Imran Perretta’s debut film, Ish, follows two 12-year-old friends from Luton’s South Asian and Middle Eastern communities, whose relationship is disrupted after a police stop and search.
In an eight-month casting process, the filmmaker visited sports clubs and community centres across Bedfordshire to find his actors to ensure the movie felt “authentic”.
He said: “I think that Ish is a film that is trying to be a bit of a portrait of Luton… if you’re going to do a portrait of a place, the people have got to come from there as well.”
The film, which was released on Friday, has earned positive reviews since it was first screened at festivals last year.
It has been described as “the British debut movie of the year” by The Guardian, external, while critic Mark Kermode called it “one of my favourite films of the year” on his podcast Kermode and Mayo’s Take.