The Somalia National Pavilion will spotlight contemporary Somali filmmaking with a three-day film programme at Palazzo Caboto in Venice, bringing together fiction, documentary, and experimental works from Somali filmmakers around the world.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
The Somalia National Pavilion will spotlight contemporary Somali filmmaking with a three-day film programme at Palazzo Caboto in Venice, bringing together fiction, documentary, and experimental works from Somali filmmakers around the world.
Set to take place from 11th to 13th September 2026, the event is part of the public programme of SADDEXLEEY, the Somalia National Pavilion’s presentation at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by archivist and curator Idel Rasheed, the programme was assembled through an open call and presented in collaboration with Waaberi Phone, a digital platform and archive dedicated to preserving Somali arts and culture.
The selected films explore themes of childhood, memory, grief, faith, family, and inherited traditions, bringing together filmmakers from different generations and geographical contexts. Rather than presenting a singular representation of Somali life, the programme foregrounds the variety of perspectives shaping contemporary Somali cinema.
“The films move across different geographies, generations and ways of seeing. Together, they create space for the breadth and complexity of contemporary Somali storytelling,” Rasheed said.
Among the films screening is WARYA, a short mockumentary by Somali-Australian filmmaker Miski Omar. Shot in Somalia, the 13-minute film follows a young boy in Garlogoobe as he searches for a missing bottle of Fanta. What begins as a seemingly simple childhood quest becomes a playful exploration of friendship, imagination, and everyday Somali life. Blending humour with close observation, WARYA reflects the work of a new generation of Somali filmmakers whose stories emerge from within the communities and environments they portray.
The programme also features MUNA by Warda Mohamed; GROWING PAINS II by Wasima Farah and Bakar Elmi; Isn’t This What I’m Supposed to Feel by Abdimalik Ahmed; A Journey Back to Allah by Qasim A. Ali; I’ll Wait for You by the Sea by Rasia Yusuf; Gacal by Mohammad H. Ali; The Flames of Tradition by Hussein Boon; and Suffice (Deeqa), the debut film by renowned Somali musician Aar Maanta.
The screenings are scheduled to take place during the closing days of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, offering a parallel platform for Somali cinema within Venice’s wider September film and arts landscape. The programme also extends the Somalia National Pavilion’s presence beyond its exhibition space, placing contemporary Somali filmmaking alongside the country’s broader artistic and cultural representation at the Venice Biennale.
Screening Schedule
Somalia National Pavilion Film Programme
11th to 13th September, 2026
Palazzo Caboto
Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 1645, Castello, Venice
Saturday, 12th September — From 17:00
- MUNA — Warda Mohamed — 19 min
- GROWING PAINS II — Wasima Farah & Bakar Elmi — 7 min 56 sec
- Isn’t This What I’m Supposed to Feel — Abdimalik Ahmed — 7 min
- The Flames of Tradition — Hussein Boon — 73 min
A live Q&A with Hussein Boon will follow the screening of The Flames of Tradition.
Sunday, 13th September — From 17:00
- WARYA — Miski Omar — 13 min 11 sec
- A Journey Back to Allah — Qasim A. Ali — 4 min 42 sec
- I’ll Wait for You by the Sea — Rasia Yusuf — 6 min 47 sec
- Suffice (Deeqa) — Aar Maanta — 7 min
- Gacal — Mohammad H. Ali — 60 min