Last Swim

Amazing directorial debut from Iranian British director Sasha Nathwani ! I was lucky to attend the film's premiere on the 16th in Berlin where it is currently nominated for best first feature film and opened the generation 14+ section.

My favourite thing about the movie is the way it takes you on an emotional journey laughing one minute and crying the next. The music score is also a personal highlight - blending both British and Iranian sounds to compliment the blended cultural heritage of the film's protagonist and ease you into the story. A few scenes play out like a music video which play on Sasha's background directing music videos.

Another highlight would be the cast who naturally complement one another and showcase the ta...

We know from an aborted telephone conversation with her doctor in her car that something is worrying Ziba (Deba Hekmat) but she determines that nothing is going to spoil her meticulously planned day. It is the day of her A-level results, and so with her friends they will open the dreaded envelopes and then spend the day messing about on Londons Hampstead Heath where they can swim, cycle, reminisce, look forward and generally chill. Now on the plus side of this drama, it makes no effort to stereotype or to polarise. Its a multi-ethnic/sex group of friends who rub along well with each other, taking the rise out of each other whilst dealing with some standard issues of teenage angst that we all felt as our hormones raged and our exam results s...