Africa is You. The Somali-Dutch Community in Birmingham, UK
A short documentary (30′) by Linde Luijnenburg, Ahmed Magare, Dennis Mulder and Anna van Winden
© BrollB Productions 2016
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What does it mean to be born in Somalia, to be in the possession of a Dutch passport, and to live and work in England? What does one bring along, and what does one leave behind during one’s travels?
The poetry of Somali-Dutch artist Ahmed Magare brings us to the Somali-Dutch community in Birmingham, UK. In the shape of a short story cycle, we hear various voices sharing their stories of migrating in and through Somalia, the Netherlands, England, and possibly back to Somalia.
The specific Dutch-Somali-English identity of Ayaan, Abdinasir, Abdi-Dani, and many others, tells us about transnational experiences of war, lost family members, asylum, issues of racial profiling, and trauma, as well as the binding elements of Islam, Somali food, business, and sharing the same citizenship and languages. It also shows us the vibrant community of Small Heath, Birmingham, a place and narration that connects these people of various backgrounds, genders, and ages.
Spoken languages: Dutch, English, Somali
Subtitles: English
Music by Aar Maanta and Ahmed Naji
AFRICA IS YOU. The Somali-Dutch Community in Birmingham, UK 