Somalia Screens First Film in 30 Years

Viewers wait for the first screening of Somali films at The Somali National Theatre in Mogadishu, on September 22, 2021, which has been opened for the first time to public after its inauguration in 2020. (Photo by Abdirahman YUSUF / AFP)
Viewers wait for the first screening of Somali films at The Somali National Theatre in Mogadishu, on September 22, 2021, which has been opened for the first time to public after its inauguration in 2020. (Photo by Abdirahman YUSUF / AFP)
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Somalia Screens First Film in 30 Years

Viewers wait for the first screening of Somali films at The Somali National Theatre in Mogadishu, on September 22, 2021, which has been opened for the first time to public after its inauguration in 2020. (Photo by Abdirahman YUSUF / AFP)
Viewers wait for the first screening of Somali films at The Somali National Theatre in Mogadishu, on September 22, 2021, which has been opened for the first time to public after its inauguration in 2020. (Photo by Abdirahman YUSUF / AFP)

Somalia hosted its first screening of a movie in three decades under heavy security on Wednesday.

Built by Chinese engineers as a gift from Mao Zedong in 1967, the National Theatre of Somalia has a history that reflects the tumultuous journey of the Horn of Africa nation.

"This is going to be a historic night for the Somali people,” theatre director Abdikadir Abdi Yusuf said before the screening.

The evening's program was two short films by Somali director IBrahim CM -- "Hoos" and "Date from Hell" -- with tickets sold for $10 each, expensive for many.

According to sources contacted by AFP, the evening passed off without any security incidents.

Although Mogadishu was home to many cinema halls during its cultural heyday, with the national theatre also hosting live concerts and plays, the seaside capital fell silent after civil war erupted in 1991.

It reopened in 2012, but was blown up by Al-Shabaab terrorists two weeks later.

The Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group launches regular attacks in Mogadishu.

After a painstaking restoration, the authorities announced plans to hold the theatre's first screening this week.

"I used to watch concerts, dramas, pop shows, folk dances and movies in the national theatre during the good old days," said Osman Yusuf Osman, a self-confessed film buff.

"It makes me feel bad when I see Mogadishu lacking the nightlife it once had. But this is a good start," he told AFP.

"People used to go out during the night and stay back late if they wished -- but now, I don't think it is so safe," said a mother-of-six, Hakimo Mohamed.

The militants were driven out of Mogadishu a decade ago, but retain control of swathes of countryside.



Flights Cancelled to and from Indonesia’s Bali Due to Volcanic Ash

 Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews ash and smoke during an eruption as seen from Lewolaga village in Titihena, East Nusa Tenggara, on November 13, 2024. (AFP)
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews ash and smoke during an eruption as seen from Lewolaga village in Titihena, East Nusa Tenggara, on November 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Flights Cancelled to and from Indonesia’s Bali Due to Volcanic Ash

 Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews ash and smoke during an eruption as seen from Lewolaga village in Titihena, East Nusa Tenggara, on November 13, 2024. (AFP)
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews ash and smoke during an eruption as seen from Lewolaga village in Titihena, East Nusa Tenggara, on November 13, 2024. (AFP)

Several international airlines cancelled flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Wednesday, after further eruptions of a volcano that has spewed ash clouds as high as 10 km (32,808 ft) and forced thousands to evacuate.

Jetstar and Qantas said they had stopped flights to Bali on Wednesday for safety reasons because of volcanic ash, while plane tracking website Flightradar24 showed flights to the island by AirAsia and Virgin were also cancelled.

Bali is Indonesia's top tourist hotspot and is a popular destination for Australian visitors.

The first eruption of the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Nov. 3 in the East Nusa Tenggara province, about 800 km (497 miles) from Bali, killed at least nine people. It has since erupted repeatedly, including multiple times on Tuesday.

From Nov. 4 to Nov. 12, 80 flights in Bali were cancelled, including from Singapore, Hong Kong, and several Australian cities, said Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, general manager of Bali's Ngurah Rai airport.

Indonesia has close to 130 active volcanoes and sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop various tectonic plates.

The ash column from Mount Lewotobi has reached as high as 10 km and authorities have said sand fall has covered surrounding areas.