To the shout of “action,” two actors, costumed in black blazers and sunglasses, broke out in a spirited shouting match, gesticulating wildly as one demanded that the other convince his daughter to marry him.
A cameraman and an operator, sweaty under the scorching sun, moved in to capture the altercation up close.
Then the director, Abshir Rageh, sitting in a folding chair, took off his headphones and shouted, “Cut.”
From the props scattered everywhere, to the crew members running around with scripts in hand, to the sophisticated recording equipment, this was like any movie set in Hollywood, Bollywood or Nollywood.
But the gritty alleys near the shooting — and the gang of security guards carrying real AK-47s — were signs that this was somewhere else. In case there was any doubt, the sound of real bullets being fired and resounding in the distance before the scene was filmed made it clear that this was anything but a typical location.
Mr. Rageh works in one of the most unexpected cities in the world for an up-and-coming author looking to bolster his filmmaking reputation: Somalia’s coastal capital, Mogadishu.
Here, in a city and a country wearily moving toward stability after decades of factional fighting and terrorism, Mr. Rageh stands out as one of Somalia’s most prolific and astute filmmakers.
At 33, he is head of film production at the privately owned Ataak, one of Somalia’s largest cable TV networks. In recent years, Mr. Rageh has created, produced and directed some of the biggest television hits in this Horn of Africa country.
This includes the two-season series ‘Habboon’, a soap-like show about a couple in love who navigate between conservative and traditional social norms, which generated tens of millions of YouTube views. His latest series, ‘Dhaxal’, a drama about the intricacies of inheritance law in Somalia, aired this month.
Mr. Rageh also oversees several other productions, including a comedy show, a cooking competition and a game show.
What motivates his work, Mr. Rageh said, is a desire to make TV shows that confront what he calls a stereotypical narrative about Somalis that centers on piracy, terrorism and hunger.
“I focus on telling stories that can change lives,” Mr. Rageh said in a recent interview. “We have to own our own story and show that we are more than that.”
The fame and popularity of Mr. Rageh’s shows depend in part on their use of simple plots and recognizable characters. But they have also attracted attention at home and abroad for candidly addressing controversial issues such as tribalism, the role of women in society and what it means to be an upstanding Somali citizen.
“The civil war in Somalia destroyed the creative possibilities that allowed us to think about the challenges facing our society,” said Bashiir Mohamuud Badane, an actor, teacher and artist who has collaborated with Ataak to create children’s programs and educational music videos to make. “These productions are a lifeline.”
Mr. Rageh, talkative and always wearing a cap, belongs to a generation born and raised after the Somali state collapsed more than 30 years ago. Since then, young people – about half of Somalia’s population of 18 million are under the age of 14 – have stepped in to revive industries and provide government services in the face of brutal crises.
For filmmakers like Mr. Rageh, the increasing affordability of equipment and access to social media platforms for both education and distribution have provided a huge boost.
None of the dozens of women and men who work on his crew have ever gone to film school, Rageh said, but crew members have honed their production skills by watching YouTube tutorials and taking online classes.
Mr. Rageh encourages them to be multi-hyphenates: cinematographers who double as sound technicians, makeup artists who act. He is also very hands-on himself.
On a recent evening, he arrived at the Ataak Studios in Mogadishu to oversee the filming of “Kala Dooro,” or “Choose Between,” a series about a young college graduate who navigates the traditional expectations of marriage with her desire to continue education and career.
After watching a few shots of a tense scene between an adult son and his ailing mother, who wanted him to worry less about her health and more about his future, Mr. Rageh intervened.
“You have to believe your own acting if our viewers want to believe it,” he told them.
He then had the actors repeat the scene four times until they got the intonations just right.
Almost all of the performers he hires have no previous acting experience. “My only condition for them is that they must be willing to learn and improve,” he said.
Mr Rageh was born in 1991 in Beledweyne, a town about 300 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu. His parents were market traders who struggled to provide for their eleven children.
The family fled their home several times as fighting engulfed their agricultural land, but they always returned. Mr. Rageh remembers the city fondly, especially because that is where his love for storytelling began.
Some afternoons, he would sneak with friends to a makeshift neighborhood cinema, where pirated copies of Indian films and Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo” films were being shown.
“My parents never wanted us to go to this movie theater,” Mr. Rageh said. “Movies were seen as sinful and immoral.”
After high school, Mr. Rageh studied public administration at Somalia University in Mogadishu.
While still in college, he found a job shooting and editing videos, and later began making short films and public service announcements. In 2017, he joined the media team of then-president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. But filmmaking tugged at his heart, and in 2019 he joined Ataak.
Mr. Rageh’s entry into film directing and production aligned with a pivotal moment in Somalia’s history.
Before the outbreak of civil war in 1991, Somalia supported a thriving theater and music industry, along with a smaller film sector with directors such as Abdulkadir Ahmed Said.
But with no major productions during the war and for many years afterwards, Somalis watched translated Arabic, Mexican and Turkish shows. As the country has stabilized in recent years and Somali-born filmmakers in the diaspora have made more films, many Somalis at home have also been eager to see themselves on screen.
Yet making films in Somalia remains a challenge.
Safety is a major issue, which is why Mr. Rageh cannot freely film scenes in the capital or the suburbs. The loud din of Mogadishu’s three-wheeled rickshaws often hinders outdoor photography. Mr Rageh also said it was initially difficult to get someone to audition for fear that appearing in a film would tarnish his or her family’s reputation.
“People see villains and believe that they are villains in real life,” says Adan Farah Affei, an actor, cartoonist and painter who has had leading roles in two of Mr. Rageh. When his on-screen wife scorned him during the series “Habboon,” he said some members of his clan called to say they were ready to defend him.
“I told them this was fictional,” Mr. Affei said, laughing.
As they become bolder in the themes they explore, Somalia’s emerging filmmakers remain wary of violating the country’s conservative norms. Even a hug or a handshake between different genders can lead to widespread criticism.
“Religious leaders think the shows introduce immorality into society,” said Mr. Badane, who recently appeared in “Arday,” a series documenting the lives of Somali high school students.
Another challenge Mr Rageh faces is financing. For now, Astond’s owners are paying for his projects. However, he said he hopes one day more independent investors or even global media companies will support the emerging industry.
For now, he’s counting his blessings.
First, more Somalis want to participate: About 2,000 people show up to audition for 100 positions in ‘Dhaxal’. Advertisers also increasingly want their brands to appear on screen.
Somali actors are also gaining worldwide fame outside the country: Mr. Affei was cast in an upcoming film directed by Somali-Canadian singer K’naan.
But for Mr. Rageh, his greatest achievement yet is personal. His mother, who once forbade him from watching movies, now regularly watches his shows and receives compliments from neighbors.
“She’s very proud,” he said.