For the first time in thirty years, people were able to go to the movies in Somalia. On the night of September 22nd, the Somali National Theater, located in the capital, Mogadishu, opened its doors to show two films by director Ibrahim CM, who was born in Somalia.

Until the 1990s, Mogadishu had several movie theaters that held various cultural activities, including film screenings and plays. However, from 1991 on, after the Civil War began, these venues stopped being used. The National Theater, for example, started being used as a military base. In 2012, it reopened, but two weeks later members of the extremist group al-Shabaab caused an explosion on site. Even though it has been losing power since 2011, the organization has carried out several attacks in Mogadishu in the past decade.

For its reopening in September, the National Theater was remodeled and tickets were put on sale. In an interview with the AFP news agency, the venue’s director, Abdikadir Abdi Yusuf, said that the screenings on the 22nd would be historic for Somalia. “It shows how hopes have been revived (…) after so many years of challenges,” he said.

Glossary

Civil War: armed conflict between opposing groups in the same country

Questions

1) What does “civil war” mean according to the text?

a) Conflict between people who defend the reopening of the National Theater and people who are against it

b) Conflict between different countries on the same continent

c) Conflict between groups from the same country

d) Conflict between countries on different continents

2) What do you think about cinemas reopening in Somalia?

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