Siciid1986 Posted October 6, 2010 Queleh is the story of the Somali refugee Abdi Jama, now living in the Netherlands. When he was about ten years old, he witnessed his father being arrested, leaving him with the responsibility for his family. It is still early but the sun is already burning down on the red earth. Queleh (10 years old) is picking up roots and weeds from the furrow his father makes with his bull-drawn plough. Ali (35) pushes the plough shears into the soil. Suddenly a dust cloud appears on the horizon. The roaring of a car engine tears through the peaceful sounds of the countryside. An army jeep stops on the edge of the red field. Three soldiers jump out and drag Ali away. Queleh grabs at his father’s trousers as the soldiers lift him into the jeep. One of the soldiers knocks Queleh down with the butt of his riffle. The jeep drives off and Queleh is left facedown in the field his father has just ploughed. Queleh is based on the childhood of the Dutch-Somali director Abdi Jama. Just as adolescence was about to hit, his father was arrested in the cruel Somali civil war. From one day to the other, his safe and quiet life had come to an end. Queleh is now the head of his family and is responsible for the family income. He has to harvest the crops and has to travel to the city on his own to sell them. In the city, Queleh witnesses how the soldiers decide upon life and death. As he tries to contact the rebel movement, Queleh is arrested and tortured. He survives. When he returns to his village, he sees that the soldiers have destroyed the cornfields, the papaya trees, the wells and his family corral. The village elder Issa, wants Queleh to join the growing flow of refugees. Queleh decides to lead both his and Issa’s family through the riverbed to Ethiopia. Length: 90 minutes Director: Abdi Jama Author: Roelof-Jan Minneboo Production: MovieTron & Arizona Films Co production Somaliland: Igal, Yusuf Ismail Jamal Production money granted by Fonds Sud (France) Selected by l'Atelier, co production workshop Cannes Film Festival 2008 Subsidy for rewrite to script of Dutch Film Fund Production money granted by Global Film Initiative (USA) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
