The Village Next to Paradise is set in a remote Somali village by the Indian Ocean. Marmargade, a single father, works as a grave digger amid the constant threat of drone strikes from the "war on terror." These attacks bring more victims to bury, but when the strikes subside, his income vanishes. Desperate, he takes on a risky smuggling job, jeopardizing his relationship with his son Cigaal and his newly separated sister Araweelo.
The film portrays a family caught between hope and despair, with Marmargade dreaming of a better future while grappling with moral dilemmas in their harsh reality.
The Village Next to Paradise is the first Somali film ever screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Through stunning visuals and a poetic approach, director Mo Haware delivers a poignant portrait of a family struggling to survive amidst constant danger.
- direction
- Mo Haware
- cast
- Ahmed Ali Farah, Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban
- duration
- 132 min
- release date
- Wed 14 May 25
- year
- 2024
- country
- Somalia
- language
- Somali
- Subtitles
- French, Dutch
A quietly powerful film. [...] A simple narrative derives its strength from well-conceived characters.