Aya Films
The Gravedigger’s Wife
Wed 7 December 2022
![Wheelchair accessible](https://www.cca-glasgow.com/media/events/WheelchairAccessible-200.png)
Wheelchair accessible
![Hearing loop](https://www.cca-glasgow.com/media/events/Hearing-Loop-Icon.png)
Hearing loop
![A couple stare deeply into each other's eyes whilst dancing in the midst of a party, they are both smiling widely.](/imager/events/121555/The_Gravediggers_Wife_3_photo_by_Lasse_Lecklin_ёBufo2021_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)
photo by Lasse Lecklin
The Gravedigger’s Wife
Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, Finland/Germany/France, 2021, Somali with English subtitles, 83m
The Gravedigger’s Wife is a poetic love story rooted in Somali culture, but universally felt. It centres around the lengths one man is willing to go to for the people he loves, as a husband is faced with an impossible situation from which to save his family. Through captivating cinematography this film brings a unique portrayal of cinema on Somali terms to the screen. It provides a unique opportunity for UK audiences to bear witness to a Somali love story.
The film is the directorial debut from Finnish-Somali director and writer Khadar Ayderus Ahmed. It premiered during Critics Week at Cannes and made history as Somalia’s first ever Oscars entry in 2021. It has since been warmly received on the festival circuit, winning numerous awards including the coveted Golden Stallion of Yennenga for Best Film at FESPACO, the Amplify Voices Award at TIFF and an incredible five awards at the 2021 Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Plus short: Yövaras (The Night Thief)
Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, Finland 2017, 16m
A Somali man’s car disappears mysteriously at night. When he decides to catch the thief, things take an unexpected turn.
![In the foreground a young boy cooks something in a pot, whilst an elderly person lays in a bed behind him.](/imager/events/121575/The_Gravediggers_Wife_2_photo_by_Lasse_Lecklin_ёBufo2021_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)
![A man in a checkered shirt sits against a bed where a woman lays with her arms wrapped around him, they look peaceful.](/imager/events/121574/The_Gravediggers_Wife_1_photo_Arttu_Peltomaa_ёBufo2021_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)
![Two young children hug each other, the one facing us is smiling. They are situated in a train depot.](/imager/events/121573/The_Gravediggers_Wife_4_photo_Arttu_Peltomaa_ёBufo2021_2022-10-27-095917_hvqm_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)
![4 figure around a campfire 1 stands whilst the other 3 sit, there's a kettle on the fire, and figures in the background.](/imager/events/121572/The_Gravediggers_Wife_6_photo_Arttu_Peltomaa_ёBufo2021_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)
![A lone man stands in a wide flat desert, he has one bandaged foot and is using a stick to walk.](/imager/events/121571/TheGravediggers_Wife_7_photo_Arttu_Peltomaa_┬®Bufo2021-scaled_515cffaa34c7b727c9423a5db08aae1f.jpg)