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Directed by: Søren Steen Jespersen & Nasib Farah
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Produced by: Helle Faber
Released: 2014
Running Time: 52 min
Language: Danish / Somali, English
Subjects: Multicultural Studies,
Sociology,
Immigration & Refugee Studies
Warriors from the North is a relevant, agenda setting film about the radicalization of young people. The film tells the story of a group of young Somali men who want to join the Islamic fundamentalist terror organization, Al-Shabab, to become suicide bombers in Somalia.
The film examines why young men in their early twenties decide to head towards this horrifying destiny. Through one of the insiders, ”The Shadow”, who chose to stay behind in Copenhagen, we get access to the mindset of a potential terrorist in the making.
Reviews / Quotes:
“While there’s nothing groundbreaking here for anyone who reads the news, the film nonetheless offers up a rare and intimate account of what exactly drives such youngsters to action…” - Hollywood Reporter
“A great look at how we quickly forget that the people who carry out these horrible attacks were not always horrible people. It certainly doesn’t change how awful their actions were, but it does remind us that many of these attackers also began as victims.” - Hot Docs
“The film brings the despair, alienation and isolation of Al Shabab’s young Danish-Somali recruits to the screen in a rare expose that provides some difficult answers, but raises inconvenient questions about the West’s role, and what might be done to staunch the flow.” - Toronto Star
Awards:
- Official Selection, IDFA (2014)
- Official Selection, HOTDOCS (2015)
- Official Selection, Tunis Human Rights Film Festival (2014)
- Official Selection, Geneve Human Rights Forme (2015)
- Official Selection, Zabreb Dox (2015)
- Official Selection, One World International Film Festival (2015)
- Official Selection, Tessaloniki Film Festival (2015)
- Official Selection, Karama Film Festival (2014)
Quotes:
"...(T)he film nonetheless offers up a rare and intimate account of what exactly drives such youngsters to action, making this Hot Docs premiere a strong contender for fests and the small screen – especially with a TV-friendly 58-minute running time." -Hollywood Reporter
"Cutting between footage of bloodshed in Somalia and reenacted scenes of men wandering the dark streets of Copenhagen, Warriors From the North paints a convincing portrait of disenchanted youths who’d prefer to die for a cause back home rather than lead meaningless lives in their adopted nations."-Hollywood Reporter
