A news bulletin on the UK’s Channel 4 announces: “In Somalia, an American drone strike has killed a Somali terrorist with ties to Al-Qaeda.” With this brief, factual report, The Village Next to Paradise begins—Mo Harawe’s debut feature film, presented in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2024. This detached, dehumanizing Western perspective is precisely what the film seeks to challenge. Over just over two hours, Somali-Austrian director Harawe patiently immerses us in the everyday lives of those living in the shadow of constant tragedy in Somalia.
The film centers on three characters who form an unconventional family. Mamargade (Ahmed Ali Farah), the father, takes on a variety of odd jobs—most notably, burying the corpses of victims from the violent attacks mentioned in the UK Channel segment. He is raising his precocious young son, Cigaal (Ahmed Mohamud Saleban), who attends school and whose future weighs heavily on Mamargade’s mind as he grapples with how to provide the best possible path to success. When they move to a new home in hopes of improving Cigaal’s educational opportunities, they are joined by his sister Araweelo—who has just demanded a divorce after her husband decided to take a second wife. Her arrival completely upends Mamargade’s life and that of his son. Determined to secure a better future for Cigaal, Mamargade takes matters into his own hands: when the local teacher repeatedly fails to show up, he enrolls Cigaal in a boarding school in a nearby city, despite barely being able to afford it. Meanwhile, Araweelo resourcefully begins taking steps to open her own tailor shop. Araweelo carries a peaceful yet radiant strength that both irritates and comforts her brother, who finds himself overwhelmed by problems far beyond his grasp. “All my life, I’ve tried to do my best, but I mess everything up,” he admits. Araweelo is the film’s other heroine—the one who, in the face of adversity, multiplies her efforts and bends fate to her will with unwavering determination.
The connection between the three protagonists is not immediately evident, but as the film unfolds, Mo Harawe gradually reveals the intricate bonds that unite this unique, makeshift family. The narrative moves seamlessly from the stark desert to a bustling town, then through Paradise—a sunlit village bordered by a vast, windswept beach. This expansive, evocative landscape mirrors the emotional terrain of the film: while it does not shy away from the region’s underlying sorrow, it also celebrates the resilience and hope found within its characters. In Cigaal, both Mamargade and Araweelo envision a future worth fighting for, a future that glimmers with promise despite past hardships. The film reflects their delicate tenderness, framing their relationships with the meticulous care and beauty typically reserved for cherished works of art.
By focusing on the fate of a child, Mo Harawe questions the future of a society facing immense challenges — with a touch of clarity and a glimmer of hope.
