Somali Filmmaker Mo Harawe Makes History in Cannes With Intimate Family Drama ‘The Village Next to Paradise’
variety.comChristopher Vourlias After making waves on the festival circuit with a pair of heralded short films, Somali filmmaker Mo Harawe makes his auspicious feature debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with “The Village Next to Paradise,” which premieres May 21 in the French fest’s Un Certain Regard section — the first feature from the African nation ever to screen on the Croisette.
An intimate family drama set in a windswept Somali fishing village, “Paradise” follows Mamargade (Ahmed Ali Farah), a single father working odd jobs to provide a better life for his son, Cigaal (Ahmed Mohamud Saleban).
They’re joined by his sister, Araweelo (Anab Ahmed Ibrahim), who comes back to live with the duo after her divorce. Each pursues their own ambitions in a country wracked by civil war, natural disasters and the deadly threat posed by the U.S.
drones constantly buzzing overhead. A testament to love, family and resilience, “The Village Next to Paradise” is produced by Sabine Moser and Oliver Neumann for Austria’s Freibeuter Film (“Great Freedom”), Germany’s Niko Film (“More Than Ever”), France’s Kazak Prods. (“Corsage,” “Titane”) and Somalia’s Maanmaal.
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