Somalis star in a Hollywood film

Barkhad Abdi, Mahat Ali, Tom Hanks and Faysal Ahmed

By Somalicurrent 
 
Barkhad Abdi, a young Somali man from Minneapolis, Minnesota and three other Somalis, Feysal, Mahad and Abdirahman are starring in the film ‘ Captain Philips’ that is going to be watched on Friday in the US.

The film is based on a true story about the American Ship Maersk Alabama hijacked by four Somali pirates in 2009. Tom Hanks plays Richard Phillips, the ship’s commanding officer. Abdi plays Muse, leader of the hijackers who held him hostage for five days.

Abduwali Muse pled guilty in February 2011 to being part of an armed group that stormed the Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean in April 2009 and took its captain, Richard Phillips, hostage. He was sentenced 34 years and 9 months in jail.

“Barkhad came in the United Sates when he was 17. He schooled here and finished it” Abdirizak Ali Boss, one his closest friend told Somalicurrent.com.

“He liked films, directed videos, but he was not expecting to star in a Hollywood film,” Ali added.
Tom Hanks, the actor of the film told hollywoodreporter.com that his knowledge of Somalia was no longer based on what he read in the media, but rather, “what I learned from the guys like Barkhad and Faysal. Outside the language barrier and the fact that they probably weight 80 pounds less than I do, their concerns are my concerns.”

“It is good opportunity for young Somali men like Barkhad to act in Hollywood and at the same time the film shows the world the bad actions of piracy that needs to be eradicated” Osman Hersi, chairman of Shanta, an education Development Organization based in Minnesota told Somali current.

Black Hawk Down was the first Hollywood film that portrayed Somalis since the eruption of the civil war in Somalia in 1991.  The 20^th anniversary of Black Hawk Down was commemorated in Somalia and in the United Sates last week.

“I can’t wait for Friday to watch Captain Phillips because I want to see how the Somalis are acting in the film,” said Amina Jama, a resident in the twin cities.