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The organizers want a high turnout rate, and customers go through multiple security checks
As the conflict-torn country hopes for a cultural revival, Somalia will host its first film screening in three decades under high security on Wednesday.
The history of the Somali National Theater, built by a Chinese engineer as a gift from Mao Zedong in 1967, reflects the turbulent journey of the Horn of Africa nation.
It has become a target of suicide bombers and is used as a base by warlords.
It has never shown a Somali film. so far.
“For the people of Somalia, this will be a historic night. It shows how hope can be rekindled after so many years of challenges,” said theater director Abdikadir Abdi Yusuf.
“This is a platform that provides opportunities for…Somali songwriters, storytellers, film directors and actors to publicly showcase their talents.”
The stage was set up for the evening screenings of two short films at the helm of Somali director Ibrahim CM-“Hoos” and “Date from Hell”-each priced at $10 (8.50 Euro), which is an expensive one for many people the price of.
Although Mogadishu had many cinemas during its cultural heyday, and the National Theatre also hosted live concerts and theater performances, this seaside capital fell into silence after the outbreak of the civil war in 1991.
The warlord used the amphitheater as a military base, and the building fell into disrepair.
Then it reopened in 2012, but was blown up by Al-Shabaab militants two weeks later.
Radical groups associated with Al Qaeda regularly launch attacks in Mogadishu and regard entertainment as evil.
After painstaking restoration, the authorities announced plans to hold the theater’s first screening this week.
For many Somalis, this is a journey of memories and a reminder of happy times.
“In the good old days, I used to watch concerts, plays, pop performances, folk dances and movies at the National Theater. When I saw Mogadishu lacking the nightlife that I used to be, I felt sad,” a self-proclaimed movie fan Osman Yusuf Osman (Osman Yusuf Osman) said.
“But this is a good start…I will not miss this historic event tonight,” he told AFP, adding that he has arranged to participate in the screening with friends.
Others are more cautious and worry about safety.
Hakimo Mohamed, the mother of six, said: “When my friends and I used to watch live concerts and plays at the National Theatre, I was a school-age girl.”
She told AFP: “People used to go out at night, and they can come back later if they want-but now, I think it’s not that safe.”
The militants were driven out of Mogadishu ten years ago, but still control large swathes of villages and continue to launch deadly attacks in the capital and other places.
Organizers said they wanted a strong turnout. Participants would need to pass through several security checkpoints to reach the theater. The theater is located in a heavily guarded complex that includes the presidential palace and parliament.
But for some people, the inconvenience and risk pales in comparison to the expectation of watching a movie in the cinema after such a long wait.
Abdullahi Adan, an NGO employee, said: “I’m not so lucky (earlier) to watch live concerts and/or movies in the theater…because I’m a child, but I can imagine How beautiful it is.”
“I want to experience this feeling for the first time and see what it’s like to watch a movie with hundreds of people in a theater.”
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