When Warda Mohamed posted a message on social media that she had accomplished her characteristic movie script, she by no means anticipated it to alter her profession. “I genuinely thought it was simply going to be just a few folks saying, ‘Oh my God, nicely finished’,” she says. “I posted it at 9 o’clock at night time and thought nothing of it.” By morning, a commissioner at BBC Movie had reached out, setting the wheels in movement for what would change into Muna – an 18-minute quick movie that screened at greater than 60 worldwide movie festivals, received a number of awards, and has now made its technique to BBC iPlayer.
Muna tells the story of a British-Somali teenager, performed by Kosar Ali (Bafta-nominated for Rocks), who navigates a posh mother-daughter relationship whereas mourning a grandfather she by no means met. Her grief mirrors Mohamed’s personal expertise rising up. “There isn’t a solution to [grief],” Mohamed says. “It’s a must to really feel it as you go alongside.” Ali, together with her deep connection to the story, was instinctively drawn to the function: “Once I method Somali tales, it’s all the time a sure earlier than a no as a result of there are so few,” she says.
Mohamed, who co-directed the play Dugsi Dayz in 2022, aimed to create an genuine illustration of British-Somali life. “For too lengthy, Somali folks have been portrayed via stereotypes in western cinema,” she says. “I need to present all the magnificence and richness of being British-Somali.” Ali echoes this sentiment: “It’s uncommon to seek out Muslim tales that aren’t warped with negativity, so I needed to do it proper.” Nevertheless, reaching this authenticity got here with its personal set of challenge; Ali, who helped supply among the solid, says: “The casting course of was actually difficult due to a scarcity of Somali actors. Ultimately, we needed to road solid [approach and ask the general public] and use our networks to make it work.”
Past grief, Muna additionally explores tradition, household, and belonging. Ali, who earned her first govt producer credit score in addition to taking part in the lead function, is particularly passionate concerning the authenticity of the mother-daughter dynamic. “It isn’t about clashes of tradition or faith; it’s about two folks figuring issues out. It’s a common expertise that many can relate to.”
The soundtrack blends modern UK and conventional Somali music, with Muna curating the proper playlist for her faculty journey. Ali provides: “I needed to maintain it enjoyable and genuine to me. The music used and the dance scene was a real illustration of me as an individual, not simply appearing.”
Discovering the proper oud participant for a scene with Muna’s grandfather was additionally a problem, however Mohamed’s persistence led her to attach with a musician in Mogadishu via her household. “It was chaotic however lovely,” Mohamed says. “Taking pictures in Somalia captured the duality of being British-Somali and made it all of the extra worthwhile.”
The manufacturing was formed by Mohamed’s dedication to a faith-based film-making method to mirror the solid and manufacturing employees. “It was vital for me that our set mirrored the values of the group we had been representing,” Mohamed says. “Whenever you see the prayer scenes, they’re not simply performances – they’re precise prayers.”
Mohamed displays on the boundaries she has confronted as a working-class film-maker: “It took greater than 4 years to get funding,” she says. “One of many greatest roadblocks was folks not understanding the story. They needed me to deal with the wake, however I needed to indicate it via the eyes of a younger lady who doesn’t know why she’s grieving, or what she is supposed to really feel.”
“The folks in positions of energy don’t perceive our tales,” she provides. “Illustration is essential – not only for the viewers however for decision-makers too. We want folks from totally different backgrounds in improvement, govt, and commissioning roles to allow them to perceive tales that haven’t been seen on display screen earlier than.”
After its profitable competition run, Mohamed says she heard from many individuals wanting to look at Muna once more or for the primary time – so she is delighted the movie is now on the BBC’s iPlayer platform. “The iPlayer launch looks like Muna has been given new life,” she says. “It’s been joyful to see totally different components of the world reply and listen to how folks join with Muna, her brother, and even the dad and mom.” For now, Mohamed has set a brand new precedent for Somali storytelling in British cinema. “We’ve got to maintain making issues, preserve writing, preserve telling our tales,” she says. “And hopefully, folks will finally see us the way in which we need to be seen.”
