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Ava (15*) + live poetry

Poetry in Motion: Contemporary Iranian Cinema

,Barbican Cinema 2
Shot of girl in bathroom

Beautifully shot and subtly observed, Ava is a tightly wound domestic drama about a young woman’s increasingly strained relationship with her mother.

A bright student who wants to pursue music, Ava’s world begins to shift as the existential angst of being a teenager sets in.

The destructive forces of peer pressure, hormones, and disagreements with her mother are compounded by an ardently severe head teacher, causing Ava to play up to all authority and resolute to disrupt even her closest friendships.

Sadaf Foroughi’s impressive debut won the FIPRESCI Discovery Award at Toronto International Film Festival, where it premiered. Loosely autobiographical, her astute and lingering camerawork brings into frame a family struggling with change, obstinately imploding in slow motion.

At this screening, poet Shazea Quraishi recites her poetic response to this film.

Tagged with: Cinema F-rated ScreenTalks More...

Iran/Canada/Qatar 2017 Dir Sadaf Foroughi 102 min

About the poet

Shazea Quraishi is a Pakistani-born Canadian poet, playwright and translator based in London. The Art of Scratching, her first book-length collection, was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2015. She received a Brooklease Grant from the Royal Society of Literature in 2015 and an award from the Artists International Development Fund of the British Council and Arts Council England in the same year.

About the poster

Barbican Cinema 2

Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue. 

Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.