Here is something to make note of. Variety has reported that there is a new film in development, Thundering Smoke, from Somali-Finnish director Khadar Ahmed, director of the 2021 film, The Gravedigger's Wife.
Why make note of it? It has a lot of elements that tick a lot of boxes for us; a cross-genre love story about a middle-aged Somali hitwoman out for vengeance. In the article, Ahmed said the following,
“It’s really a cross-genre film that blends fantasy, romance, suspense, drama. There are a lot of samurai elements,” he said. “It follows an emotional journey of these two lonely souls from two different worlds, two different generations — a young boy who’s experiencing love for the first time, and this older woman who has long given up on love — and the unexpected bond they form.”
The project is still in development, and the team is looking for festivals, sales agents, and financing heading into Finnish Film Affair, an industry event that runs parallel to the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival.
Written and directed by Ahmed, “Thundering Smoke” is produced by Sébastien Onomo for French production outfit Special Touch Studios, in co-production with Minna Haapkylä for Helsinki-based Rabbit Films, Adrien Chef of Luxembourg-based production and sales company Paul Thiltges Distributions, Elisa Fernanda Pirir of Norway’s STÆR and Canadian production house Périphéria Productions.
And finally, from the industry program page, where the header image is retrieved from.
In a black and white world where everyone sees only in black and white, a mysterious hitwoman in her early 50s, Barni, resurfaces in a Somali village after years of vanishing without a trace to seek vengeance against the ruthless crime boss, Ardo, who rules the village with fear.On a fateful night, a young bus conductor, Abshir, 21, witnesses a deadly sword fight between members of Ardo’s gang and Barni, the mysterious hitwoman. To his shock, Abshir sees Barni in COLOUR, something no one else in his world has ever experienced.Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Abshir embarks on a secret mission to track down Barni in an attempt to uncover her true identity but what begins as an innocent intrigue quickly spirals into a dangerous pursuit, pulling him deeper into a perilous world, where escape is no longer an option