‘Barni’ review: A missing girl leads to new horizons in ambitious, sentimental Somali debut

Dir/scr: Mohammed Sheikh. Somalia/Djibouti/USA. 2025. 85mins

Filmmaker Mohammed Sheikh has previously declared his ambition to create works that offer authentic tales of Somalia. In his debut feature Barni, the disappearance of a young girl allows him to explore the lives of those seeking to navigate an often hostile and threatening urban world. A handsome-looking production has appealing elements but is sometimes undermined by the broad brushstrokes storytelling and Sheikh’s tendency towards the sentimental. Festival interest may follow a world premiere in Red Sea competition.

Sometimes undermined by the broad brushstrokes storytelling

Born in a refugee camp in eastern Ethiopia to Somali parents, Sheikh and his family have been resident in Minnesota since 2013. Following a series of shorts, Sheikh shot his first feature in Djibouti. It starts with the disappearance of nine year-old Barni (Shukri Mohammed) in the aftermath of a wedding. Her older sister Amina (Salma Ahmed) and two male friends Hirsi (Hamse Mohamoud) and Geedi (Fuad Hassan) are sent in search of the child, ultimately hitching a lift to the nearby port town of Saylac.

The journey propels the trio between vastly different worlds, and cinematographer Rafael Mattar effectively captures that contrast. Amina’s rural home is where people tend their flocks. A scrubby desert stretches as far as the eye can see, a landmark tree is visible on the horizon and you can sleep under the stars by the warmth of a fire. By contrast, the city is cramped and crowded, unfamiliar streets snake around in circles, tall buildings overwhelm, people sleep on cardboard blankets in the streets and the sea shore is populated by rusting, abandoned trucks and aircraft. The faces of Amina, Hirsi and Geedi are filled with awe as they take their first steps into a place that feels entirely alien – their wide-eyed innocence only exposes their vulnerability.

There is a Dickensian feel to some of the events as the trio are befriended by the Artful Doger-like ‘entrepreneur’  Bille (Mouse Bille). Within a short time of their arrival in the city, their money has been stolen and they are refused a place to stay by Amina’s friend. When Hirsi is obliged to defend Amina from the advances of a predatory restaurant owner they also wind up in jail. Fate is determined to show the trio that they have no standing in a city where they are dismissed, exploited and an easy target for every street corner opportunist.

Sheikh structures the story as a flashback to events 24 hours earlier, so we are always aware that Barni is alive and at liberty in the city. The focus then becomes the impact of the search for her on a trio who are stripped of their illusions. The affection between Amina and Hirsi is the one thing that flourishes during their ordeal.

The narrative is laced with commentary on generational attitudes as Amina is warned against the city by a mother who continues to put her faith in folk religion. Sheikh keeps the film’s running time trim, revealing a fondness for slow-motion and a tendency to swiftly escalate dramatic situations so that some of the emotional beats never entirely feel as if they have been earned. The attractive cast sometimes show their lack of experience with performances that can seem self-conscious.

The charming score by Ryan Williams together with the film’s belief that resilience brings its own rewards are the key virtues in a modest production that serves as a showcase for new voices emerging in a resurgent Somali film industry.