Deadline caught up with Harawe ahead of the Cannes premiere.
DEADLINE:How are you feeling about going to Cannes with your first feature film?
I could sense the rhythm of the film even while shooting.
The Village Next To ParadiseFreibeuter Film
With this film, we shot for three months, and every day was a different challenge.
Although I wrote the script myself.
We would have seen how difficult it was going to be and I would have given up, maybe.
The leads did amazingly, especially as people who had never been in front of a camera before.
They never went to acting school, but they were professionals.
It was tough to spotlight so many different characters, though.
Maybe next time I should have only one character.
DEADLINE:What are you hoping people will take away fromThe Village Next to Paradise?
HARAWE:I mean, not taking away anything from the film is also good.
Jokes aside, even if nobody thinks anything about the film, I hope they at least see honesty.
We made the film with a lot of love and honesty.
During the years that Ive been abroad, Ive been asked a lot of times where Im from.
Whenever I say Im from Somalia, they say oh!.
People have another picture of it in their minds.
That was the first motivation, me trying to reassure people about the other image they have.
All others come after.
I havent taken a decision to limit my storytelling to just Somalia.
At the end of the day, emotions are universal.
If everything aligns, I would love to make films in other countries or about other people.
DEADLINE:What does the landscape look like for stories coming out of Somalia at the moment?
Luckily, there are filmmakers that are coming out and trying to make films about Somalia.
DEADLINE:And what is something about your country that you wish more people knew?
HARAWE:Thats a difficult question because I dont know where to start.
Let me put it on a positive note and say, find out about Somalias poetic side.
Learn about our wonderful poetry [maansoandhees].
Do you think this is because of a lack of infrastructure, or could there be other reasons?
HARAWE: Africa is a big, big continent with over 50 countries.
Let me put it like this I think its not only down to having a lack of infrastructure.
The continent is too big to [have such little representation] simply because of that.
How many films come from Asia every year?
From Europe, from America?
Lets say there are 500 films coming from these continents every year.
All I will say is that its definitely not only because of a lack of infrastructure.
DEADLINE:Whats next?
Do you have more other feature film projects in the pipeline?
HARAWE:I dont even need to make another film.
I know how privileged I am to be in this position.
I made short films, I said things I wanted to say, I expressed myself.
How many people can say that?
I will only make another film if I feel like its necessary for me to make.
Maybe this is the last time, who knows?
