Kayd Somali Arts & Culture | The Village Next to Paradise | UK Premiere | Almas Art Foundation: The UK premiere of Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise, a Somali feature film exploring family, survival, and hope amid the shadows of modern warfare.
Almas Art Foundation was proud to sponsor the UK premiere of The Village Next to Paradise, the acclaimed debut feature by Somali–Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe. Set against the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of coastal Somalia, the film offers a poetic and deeply human portrait of a family navigating the fragile balance between duty, dreams, and survival amid the lingering shadows of modern warfare.
Following a father, a son, and a sister bound by love and quiet endurance, the story unfolds with emotional restraint and visual grace, reflecting on care and resilience in uncertain times. Through Harawe’s delicate lens, The Village Next to Paradise becomes both a personal and political meditation—an evocative testament to hope, tenderness, and the persistence of life even in the most challenging circumstances.
Join us for the highly anticipated UK premiere of The Village Next to Paradise, the breathtaking feature debut from Somali–Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe.
Set against the haunting beauty of Somalia’s coastal landscapes, this quietly devastating yet deeply tender film tells the story of a small family navigating dreams, duty, and the long shadows cast by modern warfare. At its core: a father, a son, a sister—and the dream of a better life, quietly unfolding under the persistent hum of unseen drones overhead.
What begins as a portrait of daily life soon deepens into a powerful meditation on survival, care, and hope in times of instability. Visually rich and emotionally restrained, Harawe’s storytelling is intimate, poetic, and fiercely human.