A Way of Life

A Way of Life

Infobox Film
name = A Way of Life


caption =
director = Amma Asante
producer = Patrick Cassavetti
Peter Edwards
writer = Amma Asante
narrator =
starring = Brenda Blethyn
Stephanie James
Sara Gregory
Nathan Jones
Marged Esli
Oliver Haden
music = David Gray
cinematography = Ian Wilson
editing = Clare Douglas
Stephen Singleton
distributor =
released =
runtime = 93 mins
country = UK
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0365914

"A Way of Life" is a British film released in 2004 starring Stephanie James and Brenda Blethyn. It is directed by former child actor Amma Asante, and was filmed in South Wales. The film is a fictional drama which tells the tale of Leigh-Anne Williams, a teenage mother living in a dilapidated Cardiff council flat.

Cast

*Stephanie James as Leigh-Anne Williams
*Nathan Jones as Gavin Williams
*Brenda Blethyn as Annette (surname unknown)
*Marged Esli as a Social Worker
*Oliver Haden as Hassan Osman
*Sara Gregory as Julie Osman
*Dean Wong as Stephen Rajan
*Gary Sheppeard as Robbie Matthews
*Nicholas McGaughey as Terry Williams
*Amy Morgan as Karen Williams
*Lynsey France as a Housing Officer
*Phillip Howe as Jacob
*Victoria Pugh as a Social Worker
*Danielle Clare Symonds as a Barmaid

Plot

Leigh-Anne Williams's mother committed suicide when she was a child, and she and her brother both suffered abuse at the hands of their father. Leigh-Anne is very protective towards her baby daughter Rebecca, and still has visits from Rebecca's father's mother (Annette) - though Leigh-Anne gets angry when Annette suggests that Rebecca would be better off in her care.

Despite being less than 20 years old, Leigh-Anne has made quite a few significant enemies in her local area. She is involved in constant confrontations with her Turkish Muslim neighbour Hassan Osman, and is so desperate to support her baby that she will committ the most shocking acts. One notable act is when she tricks a man out of £30 by pretending to be a pimp. She then gets a younger girl (under the age of consent) to have sex with the man, who is much older.

Three of the few people who have good relationships with Leigh-Anne are her brother Gavin, and Gavin's friends Robbie and Stephen. But they are actively involved in crime and anti-social behaviour, and Leigh-Anne is a willing participant in many of their crimes. She receives regular visits from a social worker, and fears that Rebecca will be taken away from her. Leigh-Anne then sees her social worker talking with Hassan Osman, and believes that Hassan is trying to get Rebecca taken into care.

Leigh-Anne, Gavin, Robbie and Stephen are at a library one day when they come across Hassan Osman and his daughter Julie, who is an ex-girlfriend of Gavin's - their relationship was effectively ended by Hassan's disapproval. An argument starts as they leave the centre and it turns into a full scale street fight in which the three boys attack Hassan while Leigh-Anne looks on.

The story ends when Leigh-Anne returns home and gets a visit from the police, who want to question her in connection with an attack on Hassan Osman - he had died as a result of the beating. The very end of the film sees Leigh-Anne crying uncontrollably in police custody after her daughter has been handed over to Social Services.

Awards

It won the "The Alfred Dunhill UK Film Talent Award" at the 2004 London Film Festival and its director won the BAFTA's "Carl Foreman Award" for a debut by a British filmmaker, as well as being named The Times Breakthrough Artist Of The Year at the 2005 South Bank Show Awards. The film also picked up the Fipresci Prize for Best Film at the 2005 Miami International Film Festival, and a special commendation Signis Award at the 2004 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

ee also

*Racism

External links

* [http://www.tantrumfilms.co.uk/awayoflife/main.html Official site]
*imdb title|id=0365914|title=A Way Of Life
*
* [http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=D9CC70591b2631D682yGlQ814266 "A Way Of Life"] at The British Council's British Films Website


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