Somali drama 'Accept My Plea for Burial' Wins Open Doors Grant at Locarno
The Somali social drama 'Accept My Plea for Burial' received an Open Doors Grant during the Locomotive Film Festival’s co-production program.
Mohammed Sheikh’s new film, 'Accept My Plea for Burial,' was presented as a work-in-progress at the Open Doors segment of the Locarno Film Festival, a program that aids filmmakers from equity-seeking communities. Produced by Kadir Harbi of Aleel Films, the project brings together partners from Djibouti, Somalia and Qatar. In this edition of Open Doors, which highlighted African titles, the film secured one of the two principal Open Doors Grants.
The narrative centers on a pastoral Somali village where a boy’s fatal fall sparks a dispute over truth, burial and communal peace. Sheikh aims to explore universal questions of grief, justice and tradition through a distinctly Somali perspective. The next phase for the team is to locate additional co-production partners to move the film into full production.
Why it matters
The grant highlights growing international support for Somali storytelling and under-represented voices in cinema.
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