« Dover and Calais stand some 90 km apart. Either side facing each other, like a mirror, each staring at each other for eternity. Different languages, different cultures, different histories and yet, it merely takes one hour to cross all the boundaries that stand between them. Aleem Khan’s first film is built on these two spaces; the writer and director of After Love tells a moving, heartfelt tale of many loves. “All the spaces are inhabited by all the characters” says Aleem Khan. He breaks the barriers to make them into a complex, nuanced story. “It isn’t an autobiographical piece, although I did get inspiration from my own life to write this story - especially for the relationship between my mother and father -” explains Aleem Khan. The two female protagonists couldn’t be further from each other, much like the shores of Dover and Calais. However a single relationship binds them; their shared husband. “One has things the other lacks but they complement each other in what is a rather awkward situation for both of them. They both have shared a different version of the same man. It was important for me to show that, despite the situation, these two women are not rivals. They are connected by the lie but also other things such as the little boy, who is the strongest bond between the two” according to the director. Aleem Khan delivers a powerful piece, telling a story that avoids any cliché. »
