Somalia, France, Germany and Finland / 2021 / 83mins / Drama / Somali

Guled and Nasra are a loving couple, living on the outskirts of Djibouti City with their teenage son, Mahad. However, they are facing difficult times: Nasra urgently needs expensive surgery to treat chronic kidney disease. Guled is already working hard as a gravedigger to make ends meet: how can they find the money to save Nasra and keep the family together?

Khadar Ayderus Ahmed

Writer/director Khadar Ayderus Ahmed (born in 1981) is a Finnish filmmaker of Somali descent. He has directed several successful short films, including the short The Night Thief (2017), which has been screened at numerous film festivals around the world. As a scriptwriter, he has written, among others, the short film Citizens by Juho Kuosmanen (2008), which was awarded the Locarno Film Festival’s second prize, Leopard of Tomorrow, and Prix Arte at the Premiers Plans Film Festival in Angers. He has also written, together with director Samuli Valkama, Unexpected Journey, which premiered theatrically across Finland in 2017. The Gravedigger's Wife is Ahmed’s first feature as a director. The film has won numerous awards at festivals around the world, including The Golden Stallion of Yennenga at FESPACO 2021, the FIPRESCI Prize for Long Narrative Competition at Luxor African Film Festival 2022, and the Amplify Voices Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2021, among others. Learn More