In his latest and most personal film to date, Go Back To Your Country, filmmaker and actor Islah Abdur-Rahman digs deep into the heart of modern Britain’s fractured identity. Drawing from his own lived experience and recent history, the film tells a powerful, multi-perspective story set against the backdrop of the 2024 anti-immigration riots—a moment that struck a personal chord for Islah.
“Go Back To Your Country is absolutely personal to me,” he says. “It was born out of a lifetime of experiences tied to my identity, my family’s history, and the racial tensions I’ve witnessed growing up in the UK. But the moment that really compelled me to write it was during the 2024 Stockport riots. Watching those events unfold, seeing businesses like my family’s—immigrant-owned, community-rooted—being targeted, it hit me hard. It wasn’t just news; it felt like history repeating itself.”
The film not only chronicles the visible chaos of the riots but dives into the emotional and generational trauma behind them. “That fear, that trauma, that need to protect your loved ones—it’s still here,” Islah says. “I knew I had to tell a story that didn’t just show the violence, but explored the human cost of it, the misunderstandings behind it, and the history that keeps recycling through generations.”
While the plot is fictional, the events and emotions are grounded in reality. Many of the antagonist’s lines were drawn directly from real-life interviews with far-right figures. “I didn’t want to water any of that down,” Islah admits. “But at the same time, I wasn’t interested in creating a one-dimensional villain. I wanted to humanise him and ask: what leads someone to think like this?”
In approaching both sides of the conflict with empathy, Islah was intentional about exploring uncomfortable truths. “With Omar, we see the inherited trauma of generations. With Luke, we see a person shaped by fear and misinformation. To write both sides, I had to sit with uncomfortable truths—about racism, about class, about how people are manipulated by politics and media.”
His research into British nationalist movements was eye-opening. “What surprised me most was how easily people could be manipulated into believing a narrative that’s based on fear, lies and division,” he says, citing the role of media in fuelling hate and misinformation. “To understand the full picture, you have to look at both sides.”
A multi-hyphenate creative, Islah not only wrote and directed Go Back To Your Country but also stars in it—something he’s been doing since his early Corner Shop Show days on YouTube. “Back then, I didn’t have a big team or budget, so I had to wear multiple hats out of necessity,” he reflects. “It’s not easy—you’re constantly jumping between being in the moment as an actor and stepping back to view the bigger picture as a director. But I’ve always been inspired by people like Ben Affleck, Michael B. Jordan in Creed 3, and more recently Dev Patel with Monkey Man.”
Though many know him best for his comedy—through hits like ‘Mandem On The Wall’, ‘Corner Shop’, ‘Man Like Mobeen’ and ‘Alma’s Not Normal’—Islah’s foray into dramatic storytelling isn’t new. “Even through comedy, I’ve always tried to get points across about society’s challenges,” he explains. “I’ve written and directed short films for the NHS and the South Asian Self Harm Initiative, and worked on If Only, a drama about criminality among vulnerable youth. I also recently directed Ruby, written by a young actor I mentor, Holly Higbee. Funny enough, we were shooting it while the riots were actually happening.”
While the tone may have shifted from comedic to dramatic, the mission has remained the same: amplifying underrepresented voices. His grassroots platform, The Corner Shop Network, has long supported ethnic minority creatives, and Go Back To Your Country is an extension of that work.
“It’s about creating space for underrepresented creatives to share their stories,” Islah says. “By telling these stories with empathy and nuance, I hope to shine a light on voices that are often ignored or misunderstood.”
His commitment to authenticity is reflected in every scene—including a pivotal confrontation in a post office that he hopes will leave audiences reflecting on empathy. “It’s messy, it’s raw, but it’s also the beginning of breaking down division,” he says. “I hope it leaves audiences reflecting on how much more we need to listen, learn, and look beyond our differences.”
And the industry has taken notice. Visionary director Zack Snyder personally praised Islah’s acting and directing during recent meetings in London. “It was surreal,” Islah says with a grin. “There’s so many moving parts in Hollywood, and Zack is a very busy man… but he left me with a ‘Let’s make it happen’ and a hug.
Ultimately, Go Back To Your Country is more than a film. It’s a conversation starter, a mirror held up to society, and a call for change. “I want families to talk about identity, about what it means to belong, and about the generational trauma that many communities carry in silence,” Islah says. “If this film can challenge one person to rethink a prejudice, or help someone feel seen and heard, then it’s done its job.”
His short film was screened at the premiere of the UK Asian film festival on Saturday 10th of May
The film will be made available online later this year, once the judging panels for film festivals and awards have completed their evaluations.
