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Somaliwood is an informal name for the Somali film industry that has developed in
The earliest forms of public film display in
/ref> Following the creation of the Somali Film Agency (SFA) regulatory body in 1975, the local film scene began to expand rapidly. In the 1970s and early 1980s, popular musicals known as ''Riwaayado'' were the main driving force behind the Somali movie industry. Epic and period films as well as international co-productions followed suit, facilitated by the proliferation of
Director Abdisalam Aatoβs films on MyspaceOlol Films WebsiteJilaa
{{CinemaoftheUS Cinema of Somalia Somali-language films Somali-American history
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, where a large Somali diaspora
The Somali diaspora or Qurbajoogta refers to Somalis who were born in Greater Somalia and reside in areas of the world that they were not born in. The civil war in Somalia greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora, as many Somalis moved fr ...
exists. Following the model of Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
, the name is a portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsHollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
", the center of the American film industry.
Overview
The earliest forms of public film display in Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ππππππππ; ar, Ψ§ΩΨ΅ΩΩ
Ψ§Ω, aαΉ£-αΉ’Ε«mΔl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
were Italian newsreel
A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, inform ...
s of key events during the colonial period in Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, Ψ§ΩΨ΅ΩΩ
Ψ§Ω Ψ§ΩΨ₯ΩΨ·Ψ§ΩΩ, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th cent ...
. Growing out of the Somali people
The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida ππππππππ, ar, Ψ΅ΩΩ
Ψ§ΩΩΩΩ) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...
's rich storytelling tradition, the first few feature-length Somali films and cinematic festivals emerged in the early 1960s, immediately after independence.History of Cinema in Somalia/ref> Following the creation of the Somali Film Agency (SFA) regulatory body in 1975, the local film scene began to expand rapidly. In the 1970s and early 1980s, popular musicals known as ''Riwaayado'' were the main driving force behind the Somali movie industry. Epic and period films as well as international co-productions followed suit, facilitated by the proliferation of
video
Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
technology and national television networks.
In the 1990s and 2000s, a new wave of more entertainment-oriented movies emerged in the Somali diaspora
The Somali diaspora or Qurbajoogta refers to Somalis who were born in Greater Somalia and reside in areas of the world that they were not born in. The civil war in Somalia greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora, as many Somalis moved fr ...
. Referred to as ''Somaliwood'', this upstart cinematic movement energized the local movie scene, in the process introducing innovative storylines, production techniques and advertising strategies. The latter include cross-media marketing, with tie-in
A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original pr ...
film soundtracks featuring prominent Somali music
The Music of the Somali people () is music following the musical styles, techniques and sounds of the Somali people.
Overview
Traditional Somali music
Somali people have a rich musical heritage centered on traditional Somali folklore.
Soma ...
artists. Popular movies from Somaliwood include the Somali language slasher thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983β84 by DC Comics i ...
''Xaaskayga Araweelo'', the action comedy
Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre.
Film
The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of act ...
''Rajo'', and ''Warmooge'', the first Somali animated film
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
. The young directors Abdisalam Aato of Olol Films and Abdi Malik Isak are at the forefront of this quiet revolution. In 2010, the Somali director Mo Ali also released '' Shank'', his first feature film set in a futuristic London.
See also
* List of Somali films * Somali Film Agency * Hollywood-inspired namesNotes
References
* * * * * * * * * *External links
Director Abdisalam Aatoβs films on Myspace
{{CinemaoftheUS Cinema of Somalia Somali-language films Somali-American history