ISH
Director : Imran Perretta
Screenplay: Imran Perretta, Enda Walsh
Producer : Dhiraj
The film follows 12-year-old best friends Ish and Maram as their carefree childhood begins to change following a police stop-and-search. Exploring themes of friendship, grief, identity, racism and the challenges of growing up, Ish presents an intimate portrait of childhood and adolescence through striking black-and-white cinematography.
I was particularly impressed by the film’s post-production. I thought the music was very fitting, and the choice of when to introduce the score felt clever and thoughtful. The music never felt as though it was carrying the film, which I find can sometimes happen when films rely too heavily on their score to do the heavy lifting. Instead, the restraint allowed the visuals, performances and story to speak for themselves, while the music enhanced the moments where it was most effective.
Overall, Ish is an interesting and beautifully made film to experience, both as a viewer and as a composer and sound designer. I found parts of the story somewhat relatable, and I was particularly impressed by the way the film was crafted. From a creative perspective, it gave me several ideas about how music and sound can be used more subtly and creatively to support storytelling without overpowering it.
I also had the opportunity to attend a Q&A about the film, which gave me a greater insight into the creative process behind it. All three of the creators shared moments of the behind the scenes and it was a pleasure to sit back and listen to their stories. After the session, i grabbed my opportunity to speak to Imran and asked him about his creative process as he was the composer himself. He was kind enough to spend his own time enthusiastically discussing his love for film making and composing.
The film follows 12-year-old best friends Ish and Maram as their carefree childhood begins to change following a police stop-and-search. Exploring themes of friendship, grief, identity, racism and the challenges of growing up, Ish presents an intimate portrait of childhood and adolescence through striking black-and-white cinematography.
I was particularly impressed by the film’s post-production. I thought the music was very fitting, and the choice of when to introduce the score felt clever and thoughtful. The music never felt as though it was carrying the film, which I find can sometimes happen when films rely too heavily on their score to do the heavy lifting. Instead, the restraint allowed the visuals, performances and story to speak for themselves, while the music enhanced the moments where it was most effective.
Overall, Ish is an interesting and beautifully made film to experience, both as a viewer and as a composer and sound designer. I found parts of the story somewhat relatable, and I was particularly impressed by the way the film was crafted. From a creative perspective, it gave me several ideas about how music and sound can be used more subtly and creatively to support storytelling without overpowering it.
I also had the opportunity to attend a Q&A about the film, which gave me a greater insight into the creative process behind it. All three of the creators shared moments of the behind the scenes and it was a pleasure to sit back and listen to their stories. After the session, i grabbed my opportunity to speak to Imran and asked him about his creative process as he was the composer himself. He was kind enough to spend his own time enthusiastically discussing his love for film making and composing.