THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE receives rave reviews across the board

release date May 30 2024

Mo Harawe’s THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE, the Un Certain Regard title that is the first Somalia-shot feature film to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival, has taken the internet by storm, receiving wide praise from critics all over the world and positioning it as a must-see film for all cinephiles.

Set in a windy Somali desert village, THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE revolves around a newly assembled family that must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust, and resilience will power them through their life paths - even amidst the throes of civil war and natural disasters.

Among the reviews the film has received so far is the one from critic Leila Latif of Indiewire, who hailed the film as "extremely exciting" and evidence of the "myriad stories and talents that lie within Somalia's borders." Meanwhile, Les Inrockuptibles' Marilou Duponchel wrote that Harawe "delivers some invigorating news about young Somali cinema in an impressively masterful first feature."

Cineuropa's Fabien Lemercier also praised Harawe's work, praising it for its "remarkable sense of framing" and "touching and laconic tale illustrating the misfortunes and resilience of the Somali people." And Screendaily's Nikki Baughan highlighted the film's "striking visual literacy" thanks to the cinematography of Mostafa El Kashef.

Moreover, Critic Adham Youssef of The Film Verdict called the film "visually striking and masterfully told," while Dmovies' Eoghan Lyng simply declared it "a spellbinding drama from Somalia."

Perhaps the most insightful critique came from The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye, who drew parallels between Harawe's approach and the works of acclaimed directors like Gabriel Martins and Mahamet Saleh Haroun. Gyarkye praised the film's "unhurried pacing and tender focus on a single family" as well as how it "structures the film around a broader geopolitical conflict."

Written and directed by Harawe as his feature-length directorial debut, the film is a poignant take on Somali life that features a cast of emerging Somali actors, including Ahmed Ali Farah, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban, and Anab Ahmed Ibrahim.

THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE is an international co-production that brings together FreibeuterFilm (Austria), Kazak Productions (France), Niko Film (Germany), and Maanmaal ACC (Somalia), with Totem Films of France handling international sales. French theatrical distribution will be handled by Jour2Fête and Mena distribution by MAD Distribution, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) distribution subsidiary of Cairo-based indie studio MAD Solutions.

THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE is lensed by cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, who returned to the Cannes Film Festival this year after his short film I PROMISE YOU PARADISE captivated the French festival’s audiences last year, winning the Valbonne Audience Award and Rail d'Or for Best Short Film and earning him eight Best Cinematography awards throughout its festival run.

It is also edited by Joana Scrinzi, who received the Best Film Editing prize from the Austrian Film Awards for her multi-award-winning film GREAT FREEDOM, with Nuur Abdulkadir serving as production designer.

Developed at the Torino Film Script Lab, THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE received a post-production prize from the Atlas Workshops of the Marrakech Film Festival and a Locarno Industry award.