The Village Next to Paradise

Caught between dream and drone. This is how you could describe the life of single father Mamargade and his clever son Cigaal. They live in a remote village near the Indian Ocean, complete with white sandy beaches under an idyllic blue sky. Yet there is constant doom in the air of their small Somali village: because of the war on terror, a drone attack could take place at any time. For Marmargade, who is a grave-digger as well as a handyman, these bombings - and the many innocent victims they cause - mean extra income. When these stops, he takes a job that puts his relationship with his family at risk. This extraordinary portrait by Somali-Austrian director Mo Harawe was the first Somali film ever to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Between paradise and the village next door lies a long road.