Mogadishu Soldier

Synopsis

MOGADISHU SOLDIER is a raw and unfiltered exploration of life in the Somalian war zone as seen by two Burundian soldiers. The fighting is taking place in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, a city of 2 million people. Somalia is abandoned by relief organizations and NGOs, and there are almost no media coverage from within the country. It is too dangerous.

The two soldiers have been given a camera by the film’s director, and commence to deliver a steady flow of extraordinarily authentic material. MOGADISHU SOLDIER offers an unsentimental and truly unique view into the battle for control of Mogadishu as well as a portrait of life in an extreme war-zone that has relevance well beyond this specific conflict.

Credits

Director:
Torstein Grude

Producer:
Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Torstein Grude. Co-producers: Peter Engel, Kaarle Aho. Executive producers: Joshua Oppenheimer, Iikka Vehkalahti, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Torstein Grude

Editor:
Niels Pagh Andersen

Written by:
Torstein Grude

DOP:
Bernard Ntawuyamara, John Merry Bakundimana

Cast

Production details

Original title
Mogadishu Soldier

Year
2016

Length
84

Language
Kirundi, Somali, Swahili, English, French

Subtitles
English

Format
DCP

Production company
Piraya Film AS, in coproduction with Wingman Media ApS and Making Movies OY.

Production country
Norway, Denmark, Finland

Sales/Distribution
Norwegian distribution: Kudos Family. Festival distribution: The Norwegian Film Institute. International sales: Cinephil.

Website
www.piraya.no

Awards & Festivals

Festivals:

2016

IDFA, Amsterdam (in competition – world premiere)

2017

Tromsø International film Festival
Tampere Film Festival
CPH:DOX, Copenhagen
Dokfilm, Volda
Input Festival, Thessaloniki
Nordic/Docs, Fredrikstad
Eurodok, Oslo
DocsBarcelona
Encounters, Cape Town
Docs Against Gravity, Warsaw
Frames of Representation, London
Biografilm Festival, Bologna
Dokufest, Prizren
Helsinki International Film Festival Love & Anarchy
Kapittel Film, Stavanger
Bergen International Film Festival
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
Exile Film Festival, Gothenburg
This Human World, Vienna