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THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE


Mo Harawe | Austria, Germany, France, Somalia | 2024 | 133 Mins | Somali

Fri, Nov 8 | 7:00 PM | Dekyi Tsering Hall

Poster - THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE

Mamargade lives in Paradise – a windswept desert countryside under the constant threat of drone strikes. To support his family, including his gifted son, Cigaal, the humble and steadfast single father does what his sister Araweelo 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 enrol him in a nearby boarding school, against Cigaal’s wishes. 
Meanwhile, 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.

Mo Harawe

Mo Harawe

Mo Harawe is a Somali-Austrian writer and director, born in Mogadishu. He studied Visual Communication and Film at Kunsthochschule Kassel. The Village Next to Paradise is his debut feature film. His acclaimed short films include Life on the Horn (2022), which received a Special Mention at Locarno International Film Festival, and Will My Parents Come to See Me (2022), which was nominated for the European Film Award and won multiple prizes, including the Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand, the German LOLA and the Austrian Film Award​.

Producer : Sabine Moser and Oliver Neumann
Writer : Mo Harawe
Cinematographer : Mostafa El Kashef
Editor : Joana Scrinzi, AEA
Sound : Willis Abuto, Anne Gibourg, Guadalupe
Cassius, Christophe Vingtrinier
Cast : Ahmed Ali Farah, Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban​

Cannes Film Festival 2024
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2024
Munich Film Festival 2024
Toronto International Film Festival 2024
MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024

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Sign up to stay updated on lineup announcements, festival details, and more.
SUBSCRIBE
Dharamshala International Film Festival,
DIFF House, next to Dolma Ling Institution,
Sidhpur, HP 176057
For general inquiries: info@diff.co.in
© 2025 White Crane Films.
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