The Village Next to Paradise

Like a dream, Mo Harawe’s debut full-length The Village Next to Paradise — the first Somali feature ever selected for Cannes — lingers in the viewer’s memory after it ends, shifting and changing shape with the events of the day. The narrative is simple yet profound: the film follows a newly formed family, each with their own modest dreams for the future. The elder Mamargade seeks employment, his sister Araweelo aspires to own a small shop, and the youngest, Cigaal, imagines a field made of sweets and hopes to attend school.

The volatile backdrop of contemporary Somalia lends a simmering tension to Harawe’s muted storytelling, as drone strikes and political violence threaten to permanently disrupt the characters’ humble way of life. But even in places where death feels close, life must go on — a poignant observation Harawe handles with uncommon grace and artistry.

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