Abdisalam Aato ( so, Cabdisalaan Caato; ar, عبد السلام عاتو) (born 1976) is a Somali- American film director, producer,

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

and

media consultant A media consultant is a marketing agent or public relations executive that is hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage. Media consultants usually draft press releases to highlight positive achievements of a ...

. He is the founder of Olol Films, a production company at the forefront of the Somaliwood movement within the Somali film industry.

Personal life

Aato was born in the '70s in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...

, the capital of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. After the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

broke out in the early 1990s, he fled to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

in 1993, where he lived in a refugee camp near

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

for over three years. In 1996, Aato traveled to the United States at the invitation of his brother. He initially resettled in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

with his entire family, prior to his father's death. In 2001, he relocated to Columbus, Ohio, a prominent center for the Somali diaspora, where he is currently based. Aato is married. He describes his wife as his driving inspiration.

Career

While in Georgia, Aato began his professional career as a broadcaster and radio announcer at a community television station, Media One. He would write screenplays a minute at a time, subsequently moving on to scripting full-length feature films. With his experience learning film production at Media One, Aato later founded Olol Films, a Columbus-based production company that is at the forefront of the Somaliwood movement within the Somali film industry. In 2003, he released ''Rajo'' ("Hope"), his first feature-length Somali film. It is a semi-autobiographical action drama about a young Somali refugee. The movie was a relatively large production, with a helicopter and luxury vehicles hired for the purpose. It premiered to full houses on Thanksgiving at Studio 35 and a

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

theater. It is It has since become recognized as the first film in the Somaliwood movement and made Columbus the center of Somali diasporic film production. The film marked the beginning of a new wave of Somali films in the 2000s; these films were written, directed and produced by Somali emigres outside Somalia. As of 2007, Aato has produced, written and directed nine feature films and documentaries in his Cleveland Avenue studio. Two other productions were also in development. He works closely with his wife on all of his film projects, wherein she provides consultation and advice on areas in need of improvement. Additionally, Aato launched Bartamaha, a multimedia website dedicated to Somali music, short films, news and culture. He likewise hosts the weekly television and online program the ''Wargelin Show'', which focuses on Somali politics and society. As of 2013, Aato also serves as a Senior Media Advisor to the Federal Government of Somalia.

Filmography

*''Rajo'' (2003) *''Xaaskayga Araweelo'' (2006) *''Ambad'' (2011)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aato, Abdisalam 1970s births Living people Ethnic Somali people Somalian emigrants to the United States Somalian film directors Somalian film producers American film producers People from Mogadishu African-American Muslims African-American film directors 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people

Personal life

Career

Filmography

See also

References