The Oscar Nominated ‘ASAD’ Short Film
A Somali speaking film is in this year’s list of Oscar nominated live action in the short film category.
The 18 minute long short film ‘ASAD’ shot in Cape Town, South Africa in 2012, is about a young boy’s choice of life between piracy and a fishing.
The film had been successful being voted best short film in at least 5 festivals. It is the first film acted by Somalis with English Subtitles that ever made to the Oscars.
ASAD is a young boy that has to choose between a life of a pirate or a fisherman at a small pirate invested village in Somalia. A twelve year old Harun Mohamed is playing ASAD. His ten year old brother, Ali Mohamed is also his friend in this short film.
In real life Harun and Ali, did not have any proper primary education anywhere prior to this film. But this did not prevent Harun to memorized 19 page script to perform on camera.
Harun and Ali told me what they thought about the film and if they are now inspired to be future film actors?
“ I was feeling very happy because this is my first time to make a movie. When I was watching before the movies, I was thinking how they make these people movies? I think (it) was real, SO when I make the movie then I know how they make the movies.)” Young actor Harun Mohamed.
“I am feeling happy. You know I was not thinking it is gone be real or something” Harun’s brother ALI Mohamed.
QUESTION: “DO you think you gone be ending up as actors?”
“Yes, I think because everyone is happy. The Somalians, lot of Somalians saying yeah yeah! Here is the actor who made the movie and the movie is in the internet.” Young actor Harun.
Bryan Buckley who had written and directed this Oscar nominated short film talked about what made him to shoot this film. He said he was inspired to make this film after a visit to Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya in 2010, where he and his team did documentary style interviews with new refugee arrivals from Somalia.
“You know we don’t traditionally get those types of interviews and the spirit and there is humor, people in a survival instinct, that is just like, I can’t tell how strong the people we talked to, so I felt determined that I would make a film that somehow would tick this and that is what I did.” Bryan Buckley, US Film Director.
The short film ASAD has already given hope to the family of the Mohamed Mahdi, a member of the Somali refugee in South Africa is the father of sixteen children including the boys who acted in this film Harun and Ali, he trades on the streets of Cape Town to provide the bread of his large family. He told me the director guaranteed to support the children until they graduate from university. He believes his dream has come true.
“Honestly, I am extremely happy, at young age I myself loved films. I dreamt of becoming a movie actor myself of my sons to be actors. I think my dream is coming true, god willing.” Mohamed Mahdi, Harun and Ali’s father.
All the actors in this film had not previously acted. Some of them talked about their feeling
“This is amazing. it is a perfect movie. We are feeling happy and we are really happy to act in this movie. That is perfect. My future is …I want to be an actor, I want to be a model.” Abdi-aziz Hajow.
It took a long process of recruitment that had been applied by hundreds of Somali refugees in Cape Town.
“Once I made my selection about who I thought I could work with in a performance orientated roles, having given them scripts and taken their contact details. We then followed up with them the following day got them back in and started working with them either individually or in smaller groups and tried to do workshops basically Helping them to understand what we needed from them. Big cultural step to come suddenly to the world of film making apart from anything else.” Casting Director Jeanne Wegner.
With the help the United Nations High Commission for Refugee, the boys may be able to be on the stage at the awards. The director Bryan Buckley says it would be great opportunity for the boys, for Somalia and global refugees to be represented at the award by the two boys.
“my hope is that they can get up on that stage and speak for a few moments and show how bright they are what they represent, representing Somalia, representing refugees around the world, that would be a very powerful moment. That is my hope.” Film director, Bryan Buckley.
On the facebook of ASAD film this message has been posted after few days when Bryan gave me an interview some of which is quoted above.
“It is with our absolute pleasure to announce that the stars of ASAD, Somalian refugee turned actors Harun and Ali have been granted permission to walk the red carpet at the Oscars this Sunday. In a statement from Nobel Peace Prize Winner/ Social Activist Desmond Tutu, “They deserve two Oscars: One for creative endeavour, and the other for contributing to our collective understanding of our dependence on one another.” We’re all extremely ecstatic for Bryan, the boys and for the future of South Africa.It is on the 24th February when the film will find out it fate if it wins best live action short film at 85th Academy Awards in 2013.”
The 18 minutes film has already attracted worldwide fans including Somalis all over the world who are already very excited to see an adaptation of one of their own stories to have made to the Oscar this year 2013 if the film wins the Oscar Award or not and it has already benefited the actors in particular the teenage boys Harun and Ali.
Abdirahman-Koronto 