The films in this shorts segment are not made for children and families, necessarily, as many of the films tackle difficult subjects, like war, classism, and violence. Instead, these films speak to one another because they each explore various experiences of childhood and/or depict the complexity of families and family dynamics. Telling the stories of children during stressful and joyful moments and considering various configurations of family relationships, the films in this series expose cruelty and locate delight in the stories they tell.
Two men squat on their beds, still half asleep. Entering by way of a crack in the door, the wind blows through their meagre dwelling. After a while, the young man hands the older one a pill, adding it is the last. It is in tersely concise tableaus such as this, captured in enchanting black and white, that the story unfolds of an everyday catastrophe taking place on the Somali coast. While the son takes care of his dying father, the surrounding countryside grows empty. Neighbors are in the process of moving out as the young man delivers a load of sand to a long since abandoned construction site. Only its owner remains, hanging on to a prayer chain, his last mainstay.
Festivals and Awards
Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt, 2020
Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2020
Alterna Festival Internacional de Cine, Peru, 2021
About the filmmaker
Mo Harawe is a Somali filmmaker born in Mogadishu in 1992. He attended numerous film workshops and realized several short films which have been shown at numerous international film festivals and won awards. His feature film script To Mogadishu won the Dor Film award at the Diagonale Film Festival in 2016. In 2019 he won the BKA Startstipendium for his debut feature film The Village Next to Paradise that he is currently developing.
- Year2020
- Runtime25 minutes
- LanguageSomali
- CountrySomalia, Austria, Germany
- DirectorMo Harawe
- ScreenwriterMo Harawe
- Executive ProducerDeko Adano Ali, Mo Harawe, Alexander von Piechowski
- CastMaxamed Axmed Maxamed, Cabdiraxmaan Maxamed, Maxamed Maxamuud Jamac, Mohamed Hersi, Faadumo Abshir, Xuseen Abdirisaaq
- CinematographerMo Harawe
- EditorAlexander von Piechowski
- Sound DesignAlexander von Piechowski
- MusicDimi Mint Abba, Hassan Adan Samatar, Adbi Tahliil, Khalifa Ould Eide
The films in this shorts segment are not made for children and families, necessarily, as many of the films tackle difficult subjects, like war, classism, and violence. Instead, these films speak to one another because they each explore various experiences of childhood and/or depict the complexity of families and family dynamics. Telling the stories of children during stressful and joyful moments and considering various configurations of family relationships, the films in this series expose cruelty and locate delight in the stories they tell.
Two men squat on their beds, still half asleep. Entering by way of a crack in the door, the wind blows through their meagre dwelling. After a while, the young man hands the older one a pill, adding it is the last. It is in tersely concise tableaus such as this, captured in enchanting black and white, that the story unfolds of an everyday catastrophe taking place on the Somali coast. While the son takes care of his dying father, the surrounding countryside grows empty. Neighbors are in the process of moving out as the young man delivers a load of sand to a long since abandoned construction site. Only its owner remains, hanging on to a prayer chain, his last mainstay.
Festivals and Awards
Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt, 2020
Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2020
Alterna Festival Internacional de Cine, Peru, 2021
About the filmmaker
Mo Harawe is a Somali filmmaker born in Mogadishu in 1992. He attended numerous film workshops and realized several short films which have been shown at numerous international film festivals and won awards. His feature film script To Mogadishu won the Dor Film award at the Diagonale Film Festival in 2016. In 2019 he won the BKA Startstipendium for his debut feature film The Village Next to Paradise that he is currently developing.
- Year2020
- Runtime25 minutes
- LanguageSomali
- CountrySomalia, Austria, Germany
- DirectorMo Harawe
- ScreenwriterMo Harawe
- Executive ProducerDeko Adano Ali, Mo Harawe, Alexander von Piechowski
- CastMaxamed Axmed Maxamed, Cabdiraxmaan Maxamed, Maxamed Maxamuud Jamac, Mohamed Hersi, Faadumo Abshir, Xuseen Abdirisaaq
- CinematographerMo Harawe
- EditorAlexander von Piechowski
- Sound DesignAlexander von Piechowski
- MusicDimi Mint Abba, Hassan Adan Samatar, Adbi Tahliil, Khalifa Ould Eide