Who would shoot a 10-part TV series in a city emerging from a 30-year conflict with a cast of teenagers who have never acted before? The answer is Ahmed Farah. He is the director of Arday or “Student”, which was filmed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and launches on Thursday on the country’s Bile TV channel. It grapples with some of the country’s most controversial issues, including pornography, rape, drugs and girl gangsters – all taboo topics in Somalia. Each 25-minute episode focuses on a group of high-school students and how they deal with the challenging world they are growing up in. Like elsewhere in the world, the sharing of videos of women being sexually abused is a growing problem in Somalia. Arday’s not insubstantial budget was entirely funded by Somalis. While members of the older generation were appalled by the themes, some young people in Mogadishu said it was important the series addressed tricky topics.
SOURCE: BBC
More Stories
With ‘Banel & Adama,’ Ramata-Toulaye Sy Takes Her Place Among Cannes’ Top Names
The Lion Sleeps Tonight: One Song’s Journey from 1930s South Africa to Disney Money-Spinner
Radical Rethinking at Biennale: Africa and the Future Share Pride of Place
Designer Profile: Justin Van Breda
Chef Eric Adjepong Brings African Cuisine Into the Spotlight
Africa’s Most Mesmerizing Lodge Interiors
These Two African Islands are the Underrated Places to Travel this Summer
Five Must-visit Galleries in South Africa that Showcase the Country’s Cultural Tapestry
The Spice Island Unguja – Known to Most as Zanzibar – is a Scent Sensation
These are the Best Airlines on the Continent
The Challenges Facing the New Leader of Africa’s Largest Economy are Simply Enormous
Understanding the Opinions of Africa’s Rising Generation