New Somali film premiering in Cannes titled 'The Village Next to Paradise'

Eyes-of-Ibad

Eyes-of-Ibad



Synopsis - "The Village Next to Paradise"
In a windy Somali village, a newly assembled family must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.
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Directed by Somali-Austrian Mo Harawe

www.festival-cannes.com

THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE - Festival de Cannes

In a windy Somali village, a newly assembled family must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.
www.festival-cannes.com www.festival-cannes.com
www.imdb.com

The Village Next to Paradise (2024) | Drama

2h 12m
www.imdb.com www.imdb.com
www.austrianfilms.com

The Village Next to Paradise

In einem abgelegenen Dorf in Somalia kämpft Mamargade, ein alleinerziehender Vater mit den Herausforderungen des täglichen Lebens. Seine Schwester Araweelo sucht nach ihrer Scheidung bei ihm ein neues Zuhause. Cigaal, sein Sohn wird in den Turbulenzen dieser zerbrechlichen Familie manchmal...
www.austrianfilms.com www.austrianfilms.com
 
The alchemist

The alchemist

VIP
Somalis need to stop doing these movies that lack vibrancy. If you are going for something artistic, pull something beautiful and cultural like Kiarostami, where film and silence compliments like poetry. Minimalism does work when you bring out the spontaneity and character of the people authentically:


You can even see not much dialogue but a lot of symbolic beautiful focus on the filming and almost layered reflection of characters in Once Upon A Time In Anatolia:


These movies of Somalis are very unSomali-like because they lack the "life" of Somalis which makes me think it is too crafted out of unnatural intentions learned from the Indie scene in the West. It tries hard to widen the individuality of each character from a sense of reflection/deep thought but never root from a Somali behavior, so what are they representing? Notice how every character is very silent, no one smiles (even the people outside), and people stand around silent... You will never in your life see a silent crowd of Somalis. To me, art that tries to represent realism cannot veer off from the source of the inspiration that is the people you're depicting.

Do you know what it looks like? It seems like a Somali film made for white people to enjoy.

Somalis are often stoic but not mute. The people in these films are in constant deep thought. I have never met one Somali kid that sits with the temperament of a Japanese lone child... I am not even saying that we are a people without these elements. All I am saying it does not carry our behavior.

By the way, respect the actors. They are not bad at all. And I can see the shots were nice. I appreciate the angles. I like how it tries something serious. The issue is that it is too manufactured.

Peculiarly enough I watched a short film by the same director years ago that depicted the effects of radioactive pollution on the coast of Somalia. That movie was very silent but it was very good in its intentions. That silent mood for the contextual setting was an interesting choice that I appreciated since it depicts the degradation of life.

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Last edited:
Aseer

Aseer

A man without a 🐫 won't be praised in afterlife
VIP
Damn this is the first time I see a somali movie with no stereotypes just unique and different I am definitely giving it a watch.
 
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