After Love

After Love is a 2020 British drama film written and directed by Aleem Khan in his feature-length directorial debut. The film stars Joanna Scanlan as widow Mary Hussain discovering her husband's secret family after he unexpectedly dies The film received its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and had a theatrical release in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2021. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Khan's direction and Scanlan's performance. Both were nominated at the 75th BAFTA awards, with Scanlan winning for best actress. Plot Mary Hussain (Joanna Scanlan) and her husband Ahmed (Nasser Memarzia) return home one night only for Ahmed to unexpectedly die. After looking through Ahmed's wallet some time after his funeral, she notices a picture of a woman named Genevieve (Nathalie Richard) whom she has never heard of before. Probing further, she looks at Ahmed's phone and sees multiple text messages he sent to the same woman, with the two of them suggestively discussing meeting up with each other. Suspicious, Mary takes a ferry across the English Channel to Calais to find Genevieve. After meeting her, Genevieve mistakes Mary for a cleaning lady and invites her inside for work. Genevieve lives with her son Solomon (Talid Ariss), who she appears to be on uneasy terms with, and both of them plan to move away in a few days. They're both unaware that Ahmed has died. Mary hides her true identity and poses as a cleaner so she can learn more information. While at her house, she notices multiple articles of Ahmed's clothing. After walking in on a home movie tape with Genevieve, Ahmed, and Solomon, Mary realizes Genevieve and Solomon were Ahmed's secret family for many years.