Samia is growing up in a modern Muslim large family in Mogadishu. At home, the atmosphere is warm and humorous, and her father encourages his daughter’s dreams. This is no easy task. In 1991, the year Samia was born, the civil war in Somalia reached a low point when dictator Barre was overthrown.
Samia is a talented runner. When the nine-year-old runs to school each morning with the boy next door, she is always way out in front. Samia wants to become the fastest woman runner in her country. She trains secretly at night in an abandoned stadium, defying the ban on women playing sports. After her victory in the city run in Mogadishu, everything suddenly seems possible. She represents Somalia at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in front of a global audience. Her next goal is the 2012 Olympics in London. But the repercussions are huge. Samia decides to flee, taking a route that countless refugees have already tried: from Ethiopia to Sudan, across the Sahara to Libya, and then by sea to Italy.
The film by director Yasemin Şamdereli, in collaboration with Italian-Somali artist Deka Mohamed Osman, was inspired by the novel Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella, which is based on the life of sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar. It was filmed in Somali and in locations in Italy, Tunisia, Germany and, in particular, Kenya. The Turin-based production company Indyca began working with the Somali community there, which led them to the Osman family. Deka Osman’s younger sister, Ilham Osman, eventually took on the leading role of Samia.

Yasemin Şamdereli is taking part in the »Co-productions | Best Practice« panel discussion on the issue of adequate opportunities for international co-productions with African countries.

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