EXCLUSIVE: Rising Somali rapper Sharma Boy is part of the creative team behind upcoming Canadian indie feature Lifeline, which will feature a largely Somali cast.
The debut from writer-director Ilhan Abdullahi is due to get underway in Vancouver, BC, later this fall. Cast comprises Hanad Abdi (Little America), Elmi Rashid Elmi (The Swimmers), Saman Hasan (Ramadan America) and Muna Abdulahi (The Mole).
Sharma Boy, whose real name is Sharmarke Abdinasir Mohamed, will write original music, compose and contribute songs, though producers says the soundtrack will “highlight diverse African talent”. Pic is being produced by actor and director Agam Darshi (Donkeyhead) and Mimi Dejene. Darshi is known for starring in series including Sanctuary and Sight Unseen.
The synopsis reads: “In Lifeline, when a high school basketball star is wrongfully convicted of a crime in a suburban neighborhood, his family’s pursuit of a better life is shattered. Ibtisam Farah, a high achieving Somali youth worker is forced to take on the case, which catapults her into a world of crime and forces her to connect with a community she is estranged from.” The film will be shot in English and Somali.
“Stories are powerful tools for sparking dialogue and systems change. With Lifeline, I want to amplify Somali and refugee diaspora voices. The film strikes a delicate balance between humour and joy, while confronting the harsh realities our communities face,” said writer-director Ilhan Abdullahi.
She continued: “The making of this film has already been a beautiful journey of community, shaped by collaboration, trust, and lived experience. Lifeline not only sheds light on the complexities of Black refugee youth in North America, but also celebrates the vibrance of the Somali community and what it means to thrive beyond survival.”
Abdullahi is a Somali-Canadian filmmaker and community mobilizer. Her short films have screened internationally, most recently at the NewFilmmakers LA festival. She developed her debut feature screenplay for Lifeline through the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters Lab. Most recently, she received an honorable recognition as a Noteworthy Black Figure of Canada for her contributions to Canadian society through her community work and storytelling efforts.
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