By Christopher Vourlias
Unbound: K'naan on being Somali
Somali-Canadian artist K'naan Warsame makes his directorial debut at the Toronto Film Festival with "Mother Mother," which has its world premiere on September 6 in the festival's Discovery section.
The film is set on a lonely farm in rural Somalia, where a widowed camel farmer, Qalifo (Maan Youssouf Ahmed), lives with her college-age son, Asad (Elmi Rashid Elmi). Asad has grown up in the shadow of his late father’s violent reputation and chafes under his mother’s strict upbringing, fleeing to a nearby village whenever he can.
But when he discovers that his girlfriend is seeing a young American, Liban (Hassan Najib), their explosive confrontation seems as inevitable as the tragic consequences that follow. Ultimately, it is up to Qalifo and Liban to somehow find common ground and heal their shattered community.
