The Village Next to Paradise

Play trailer

The Village Next to Paradise

2024

2h 12m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

Popcornmeter

0 Ratings

In a windy Somali village, a newly assembled family must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.

Murtada Elfadl

Variety

In building these characters’ world -- the fanciful, the childish and the realistic alike -- Harawe makes a film that quietly seeps into the audience’s consciousness and lingers.

May 30, 2024

Full Review

Lovia Gyarkye

The Hollywood Reporter

The Village Next to Paradise orients itself around a quiet optimism and surprising humor that mirror real life. There are moments throughout that serve as a reminder that even in places where death feels close, hope for tomorrow is still alive.

May 24, 2024

Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

This story of fatherhood and personal sacrifice is a thoughtfully conceived portrait of the sincerity happening in Somalia beyond the headlines.

May 24, 2024

Full Review

Wael Khairy

The Cairo Scene

While the cinematography and the performances were impressive, they could not fully compensate for the film's pacing and narrative structure.

Jul 7, 2024

Full Review

Conor Truax

In Review Online

Mo Harawe’s The Village Next to Paradise is both a timely and timeless approach to removing these barriers of image-laden, simplistic communication with a nuanced portrait of an unconventional family in a desolate coastal Somali town.

May 27, 2024

Full Review

Nikki Baughan

Screen International

While the inexperience of the largely non-professional cast is obvious at times, it adds to the natural, unhurried feel of Harawe’s film. There’s a strong sense of authorship in every scene, every decision.

May 21, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Mo Harawe

Director

Ahmed Ali Farah

Actor

Anab Ahmed Ibrahim

Actor

Ahmed Mohamud Saleban

Actor

Mo Harawe

Screenwriter

Mo Harawe

Producer

In the Summers

93%

%

In the Summers

Watchlist

TRAILER

for In the Summers

Chaperone

100%

%

Chaperone

Watchlist

Daruma

100%

99%

Daruma

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Daruma

Tendaberry

91%

%

Tendaberry

Watchlist

I Wish You All the Best

100%

%

I Wish You All the Best

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In a windy Somali village, a newly assembled family must navigate between their different aspirations and the complex world surrounding them. Love, trust and resilience will power them through their life paths.

Director: Mo Harawe
Producer: Mo Harawe, Nicole Gerhards, Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann
Screenwriter: Mo Harawe
Production Co: FreibeuterFilm, Kazak Productions, NiKo Film, Maanmaal ACC
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Somali
Runtime: 2h 12m