The Village Next to Paradise

Mamargade (Ahmed Ali Farah) lives in Paradise — a windswept desert countryside under the constant threat of drone strikes. To support his family, including his gifted son Cigaal (Ahmed Mohamud Saleban), the humble and steadfast single father does what his sister Araweelo (Anab Ahmed Ibrahim) calls “social work” — driving, digging graves, repairing vehicles. But when death comes often from the sky, it is not uncommon for people to simply disappear. After Cigaal’s instructor stops showing up, Mamargade is encouraged to enroll him in a nearby boarding school, against Cigaal’s wishes.

Araweelo dreams of independence, most urgently in the form of a divorce, and then a shop where she can make and sell clothing. But when she learns she cannot get a loan as an unmarried woman, she must hatch a new plan to make her aspirations come true.

In what emerges as a timeless tale about love, sacrifice, and dedication, writer-director Mo Harawe provides political context for an underappreciated and often vilified nation, while placing emphasis on common truths. Lucid and unobtrusive cinematography by Mostafa El Kashef (19B) captures the majesty of the Horn of Africa’s vast plains, highlands, shorelines, and interior worlds, lit carefully under the full force of the desert sun. One of the breakouts from this year's Cannes Film Festival, Harawe's feature debut is a sensitive and empathetic work that announces a bold new voice and a new era for Somali cinema.

NATALEAH HUNTER-YOUNG