New Documentary Tells The Story Of Somali Life In Manchester

The Somali community in Britain is rarely represented on our screens and seldom considered when we think about our country’s immigrant story.

Mohamud Yusuf Mussa and Yasin Mohamed, two young British Somali filmmakers from Manchester, hadn’t failed to notice this gap.

In order to address the issue the pair created See My Dunya, a new documentary that explores the Somali community in their hometown.

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See My Dunya – 12th Jan #Launch Part of: Push Festival 2019 Sat 12 Jan 2019 – Sun 13 Jan 2019 Through #photography, #film, #music and #sculpture; See My Dunya: See My World brings to focus the seldom seen faces, the un-heard stories and dreams that make up the Somali-British experience. An invitation into the Somali-Mancunian experiences, it hosts the images, testimonies, sounds and swag of the many individuals that make up this seldomly centred yet hyper-visible community; inviting the viewer to discover and share in the marvellously mundane. The exhibition features photography by @sharmaarkealiadan , film by @sscopemedia , music by @harryleopard and 3D sculptural installation by @Somaliarchitecture See My Dunya is an experiment, a local and grass roots initiative conceived in conjunction with @bigpplmusic as way of carving out a space in dialogue with the #Somali community in #Manchester. Check link in bio for more #info … 🐆 📽by @sscopemedia Funded by @aceagrams #exhibition

A post shared by See My Dunya : See My World (@seemydunya) on Dec 27, 2018 at 9:23am PST

Through interviews and anecdotes, the film allows Somali-Mancunians to tell an array of stories that have been unfolding for over 20 years in the northern city, giving them a platform that hasn’t existed before.

“I think one of the biggest issues that we’ve faced is the fact that we’re quite underrepresented,” Yasin told the BBC, “and there aren’t enough faces in the community.”

Much of See My Dunya looks at Moss Side, a diverse community in the south of Manchester that was often the focus of news reports about crime in the city

“Most of the things that were coming out from Moss Side were quick to focus on the bad aspects and the bad things that were happening,” Yasin explained.

“This documentary is important because it highlights all the….positive stories that no one really highlights,” Mohamud added.

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Roseberry street, Moss side… Circa 2018, Join us for the launch of @seemydunya Exhibition on the 12th January 2019 @homemcr as part of push festival… Featuring photography by @sharmaarkealiadan , film by @sscopemedia , Music by @harryleopard , 3D Sculpture by @somaliarchitecture and more…. Tickets are free, first reserved first served via the link in the bio…. 🐆 #seemydunya #seemyworld #somali #exhibition #photography #art #film #music #manchester

A post shared by See My Dunya : See My World (@seemydunya) on Dec 23, 2018 at 11:27am PST

The film forms part of the See My Dunya exhibition, which is on display at Manchester Central Library until 23 March 2019.

The co-directors of the film hope the documentary and the wider exhibition have a lasting impact on their community—and on the younger generation.

“The hope and aim….is literally to inspire and to tell the story that’s never been told really, or hasn’t been told in a positive light.

“I really hope other people see this and [think] ‘cool, I can do it too….I can tell my story and be very proud of it.’”

See My Dunya runs at Manchester Central Library until 23 March 2019. For more information, click here.