The Gravedigger's Wife

Play trailer

The Gravedigger's Wife

2021

1h 23m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Guled and Nasra are a loving couple, living on the outskirts of Djibouti city with their teenage son Mahad. However they are facing difficult times: Nasra urgently needs an expensive operation to treat chronic kidney disease. Guled is already working hard as a gravedigger to make ends meet: how will they find the money to save Nasra and can they keep the family together?

Critics Consensus

Movingly depicting persistence in the face of health woes and economic hardship, The Gravedigger's Wife is a tender tribute to the power of family.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

A handsome, widescreen fable about family bonds and financial insecurity, this Somali-language film’s simplicity and economy is its power.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 23, 2022

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It’s a gentle, humorous film in Africa’s quietist cinema tradition with grace notes of irony and wit.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 18, 2022

Full Review

Guy Lodge

Variety

A moving, sometimes quietly biting study of a medically and financially troubled family in crisis.

Nov 20, 2021

Full Review

Daryl MacDonald

InSession Film

As he struggles in vain to make some small semblance of a difference to those he loves, Ahmed is asking us the question: are we really okay with this?

Rated: B

Apr 25, 2024

Full Review

Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

There's a straightforwardness to the telling of this tale that adds to its accessibility.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 20, 2022

Full Review

Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Opens a space to talk about universal health care. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 8, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jim P

Watching World 🌎 Cinema movies gives you a new perspective on other people's lives. This is a touching tale of hardship from Djibouti 🇩🇯 in Africa.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

Full Review

Jason R

Surprisingly enjoyable https://uberscaryblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/get-me-glass-of-water-would-you.html

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/09/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Khadar Ahmed

Director

Omar Abdi

Guled

Yasmin Warsame

Nasra

Kadar Abdoul-Aziz Ibrahim

Mahad

Samaleh Ali Obsieh

Ali

Hamdi Ahmed Omar

Hassan

View more photos

Synopsis

Guled and Nasra are a loving couple, living on the outskirts of Djibouti city with their teenage son Mahad. However they are facing difficult times: Nasra urgently needs an expensive operation to treat chronic kidney disease. Guled is already working hard as a gravedigger to make ends meet: how will they find the money to save Nasra and can they keep the family together?

Director: Khadar Ahmed
Producer: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff, Risto Nikkilä, Thanassis Karathanos, Martin Hampel, Stéphane Parthenay, Robin Boespflug-Vonier
Screenwriter: Khadar Ahmed
Production Co: BUFO, Pyramide Productions, ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Somali
Runtime: 1h 23m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1