Ae Fond Kiss (Just a Kiss) is an unusual romantic drama set in Scotland. It tells the tender, often tragic story of forbidden love between Casim, a Pakistani-Scottish Muslim DJ and Roisin, an Irish teacher.
Set in Scotland, Ae Fond Kiss was directed by the legendary Ken Loach and released in 2004. It won several awards, and was honoured at the Berlin Film Festival, the British Independent Film Awards and the European Film Awards (among others) for its sensitivity in tackling the touchy, yet topical subject of inter-faith love in multi-cultural Glasgow.
Featuring virtually unknown leading actors Atta Yaqub (Casim) and Eva Birthistle (Roisin), Ae Fond Kiss also received positive acclaim for their strong, convincing performances. The plot deals with tradition, belief, belonging, community and the magnetism of love, however unexpected and seemingly unsuited.
Happily Never After
Casim Khan comes from a devout Pakistani Muslim Family, and is duly intended to marry his cousin Jasmine. So far, so good, until Casim, who works as a DJ, meets Roisin at his sister’s school… and falls madly in love with her.
The big question is whether their love is strong enough to weather the potential backlash from their respective Muslim and Catholic communities. Roisin is inevitably fired because the big wigs at the Catholic school where she teaches don’t accept her relationship with a Muslim man. Their argument is that as a separated woman, her romance with Casim goes against the faith.
A Question of Honour
The film’s parallel plot revolves around the trials and tribulations of Casim’s sisters. His younger sister, Tahara is stuck between a rock and a hard place, unable to fit in with either her Scottish schoolmates or her Pakistani relatives.
His older sister, Rukhsana, has to kiss goodbye to her fiancé because Casim’s new relationship brings the family such dishonour.
And Then We’ll Sever…
I really enjoyed the light this film threw on some of the issues that confront second generation expats in countries like Scotland, where on the surface, everything tessellates, but underneath, faith and fear tie unfathomable knots within families and communities.
The film’s title comes from a line in a Scottish poem by Robert Burns: “Ae fond kiss, and then we’ll sever…”
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