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Hooyo, Why Here?

After many years of waiting, two Somali descendants are finally Hungarians. Despite this win, questions of belonging and what is home never leave them.

Synopsis

After 12 years of waiting, Somali descendants, Anab and her daughter Naima are finally Hungarians. Despite this win, questions of belonging, what is home never leave them. Language and religion are the glue of their lives as Somalis. Will this new hope of a home give them a path towards belonging or will they find themselves drifting away on the currents of isolation and difference?

Hungary, Belgium, Portugal | 2021 | 13 min

DIRECTOR: Neema Ngelime

PRODUCTION: DocNomads

SCREENPLAY: Neema Ngelime

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Faizan Ali, Obaid Mustafa

EDITING: Jose Permar

DUTCH PREMIERE

SCREENING: Friday 25 November / 15:00h / Zaal 4 & Sunday 27 November / 11:00h / Zaal 5

Director’s statement

Anab and Naima’s journey has been a long one. Using language, one can see the lengths they went through to adapt and make the places they’ve been to home. When I was making this film, I was attracted to their resilience and journey. I wanted to manifest their strength using the mundane. I wanted to show how despite it all, Anab, the mother, has always sheltered Naima and given her the best bits, any teenager could have. I wanted to highlight their playfulness as family and love.

Director’s bio

Neema is a photographer and a filmmaker. With a master’s degree from DocNomads, a mobile documentary filmmaking school, she managed to focus on stories on the African Diaspora in Lisbon, Budapest and Brussels. Her focus primarily is domestic work, colonial legacies, spirituality as well as class struggles. She is keen on making films with the magic of the mechanical nature of the everyday with an experimental and feminist lens.

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Beldocs International Documentary Festival, 2021