“Poignant” and “gripping” Brides premieres to glowing reviews
The coming-of-age road movie has earned critical praise from its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival.
The debut feature from acclaimed theatre director Nadia Fall and screenwriter Suhayla El-Bushra, Brides stars Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar as two teenage girls in search of freedom, friendship and belonging, who run away from their troubled lives in a seaside town with a misguided plan of travelling to Syria. Catryn Ramasut and Alice Lusher of ie ie Productions co-produced the film, with funding from Ffilm Cymru Wales and Creative Wales.
Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah last weekend, we’ve rounded up some of Brides’ reviews below.
"In Nadia Fall's gripping, conversation-stoking first feature, two British Muslim besties pack their bags and escape troubled home lives — on a dizzy but drastic mission that parallels ISIS-bride news stories."
“Brides is a poignant and purposeful attempt to look behind the headlines… a low-key study of teenage alienation, detailing a perfect storm in which burgeoning emotions and frustrations get frighteningly out of hand.”
"From a seaside town in Wales, to the Turkish capital and on through the countryside to the Syrian border (shot in Sicily), Brides is woven seamlessly around its two leads. Music by Alex Baranowski trusts the story and works with it, never stating itself at the cost of the delicate balance built up by Fall in this notable debut."
"The thorniness of Fall’s subject matter is always apparent; as she tries to balance duelling ideas, themes, and tones, Brides is at its most thrilling when the director pushes on those tensions."
"Instead of vilifying their characters, Doe (played by newcomer Ebada Hassan) and Muna (a spirited and compelling Safiyya Ingar), the filmmakers create empathy while exploring the reasons for their decisions. Perhaps with even more emphasis, Brides examines the strength and complexity of the bond shared by these two teenage girls."
"The film considers the subject with an admirable mix of sympathy, empathy, and compassion."
