'The Village Next to Paradise' is a 2024 drama film written and directed by Mo Harawe in his feature-length debut.
Egyptian cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef has clinched the Best Cinematography Award at the Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film in Graz for his work on The Village Next to Paradise, a Somali feature by director Mo Harawe. This marks El Kashef’s second cinematography award for the film.
The film also received Best Fiction Feature at the festival, with the jury praising its “fine sense of nuance” and “gentle impact.” In addition to the accolades, the film was awarded €15,000 from the Culture Department of the Federal State of Styria, a €1,000 prize and €3,000 advertising credit from streaming platform watchAUT, and a €4,000 voucher from The Grand Post – Post Production House.
Set against the backdrop of a remote Somali desert village, The Village Next to Paradise follows a newly formed family as they navigate love, trust and resilience amidst civil unrest and environmental hardship. The film is Mo Harawe’s feature directorial debut and the first-ever Somali-shot film to screen at Cannes, where it premiered to a standing ovation in the Un Certain Regard section.
El Kashef’s cinematography has been a key element in the film’s international success, previously earning him Best Cinematography at the Carthage Film Festival. The film has collected six additional international awards from prestigious festivals in Chicago, Sarajevo, Munich, Cork, and Marrakech and won Best Austrian Film at the Viennale. Critics have widely celebrated the film’s visuals, with The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye calling the imagery “truly striking,” while Screendaily’s Nikki Baughan praised its “striking visual literacy.”
Featuring rising Somali talents such as Ahmed Ali Farah, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban and Anab Ahmed Ibrahim, the film is an international co-production between FreibeuterFilm (Austria), Kazak Productions (France), Niko Film (Germany), and Maanmaal ACC (Somalia). International sales are handled by Totem Films, with Jour2Fête managing French distribution and MAD Distribution covering the MENA region.
El Kashef, a celebrated member of the MAD Crew, is also known for his work on 13 cinematic projects including his debut feature 19 B, which earned him the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the Cairo International Film Festival. His earlier short films such as My Festival, Jebel Banat, and This Is My Night have garnered critical acclaim, including a Best Cinematography win at Cinemaz Brasil.
