From Mogadishu into the World: The Future of Somali Cinema

Somali cinema has a rich yet underexplored history. Once a vibrant cultural practice in Mogadishu and Somali regions, public cinemas, and local film production flourished until decades of conflict disrupted the ecosystem.

Mahad Mohamed — co-founder of Mogadishu-based cinema magazine Shineemo Banaadir — will give a brief historical overview of Somalia’s cinematic “golden era” as well as the current revitalization. Despite a de-facto ban, storytelling, visual culture, and oral histories persisted within communities and the diaspora, reflecting themes of identity, memory, migration, and social reconstruction and bridging local narratives with global audiences.

Today, Shineemo Banaadir connects archival history with contemporary practice —  and aims to explore its future trajectory.