Film and photography
The Village Next to Paradise (LUXFILMFEST)
Mamargade lives with his son in a small village in the heart of the Somali desert. He survives on odd jobs, but competition is fierce and his situation becomes precarious. His sister, a young woman recently divorced over her husband’s desire for polygamy, comes to live with them. She dreams of opening her own shop, but the path is fraught with obstacles. In its photography and tightly controlled framing, this debut film delicately explores the relationships between its characters, capturing their silences, looks, and expectations. It also portrays the socio-political situation in Somalia, as well as the difficulty for women to assert their independence...