A Finnish film won an African Oscar

Late on Sunday night, the African Film Academy Awards were handed out in Lagos, Nigeria. Finnish-Somali filmmaker Khader Idros Ahmeds Debut movie Guled and Nasra (grave digger’s wifeIt won awards in five categories: Best Film, Best Male Actor.Omar Abdi), the best mask (Nadine Otsubogo Boucherand best scenographyYou are Nikkinin). In addition, the film, which is in Somali, was awarded the Osman Sembine Prize which is given to films in African languages. Guled and Nasra It was nominated in ten categories at Africa’s most prestigious film gala, which has been held annually since May 2005.

The film also won an award at the Culture Gala in Tampere last week. Khidir Idros Ahmed then won an award in the Future of Culture category.

In July, the film was the first Finnish film ever to be shown during Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, which was shot in Djibouti and is a Finnish-German-French production, is the first professional international co-production in Somalia.

Also read Sarah Enholm Helm’s review of the movie, which is in cinemas now: Finally, the story of the Somalis is told.