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After 12-year-old Warmooge dies while playing with his friend in rural Somalia, his family refuses burial. With no clear evidence and an unreliable witness, a community governed by customary law must preserve peace without sacrificing another child.
In a remote Somali pastoral village, two 12-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing games. Their playful rivalry turns tragic when Warmooge dies after falling into a steep, dry riverbed during a game. No one sees exactly what happened, and the only witness, a mentally unstable man, gives conflicting accounts that deepen the uncertainty. As the village gathers, grief hardens into accusation. Warmooge’s mother, Saluugla, refuses to bury her son without justice, believing burial without accountability would erase his death. The elder, Alamagan, attempts to resolve the conflict through customary law and religious counsel, but the absence of truth fractures the community. Rituals are performed, oaths proposed and broken, and tensions escalate as the unburied body decays. Despite Waasuge’s age and the lack of evidence, the village demands resolution.

Credits

Director
Mohammed Sheikh
Screenwriter
Mohammed Sheikh
Producer
Kadir Harbi Hassan, Mohammed Sheikh
Production Company
Aleel Films

About the Director

Mohammed Sheikh
Mohammed Sheikh is a Somali-American filmmaker whose work is rooted in oral tradition, customary law and lived experience within Somali communities. His debut feature film, ‘Barni’ (2025), premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival, marking his transition into long-form narrative cinema. Mohammed picked up the camera to find solace, often drawn to stories of people searching for each oth
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