Columbus Alive
FILM REVIEWS
First flick
Thanks to Abdisalam Atto, Columbus just tucked another feather into its cap of “firsts.” When Atto’s film Rajo
opened Wednesday at Studio35, it became the first Somalian feature directed in America—with the added bonus of
being shot entirely in Columbus.
While initial impressions of the tiny East African nation might be related to the ongoing civil war or famine, Rajo (or
“hope”) is no Black Hawk Down or National Geographic travelogue. Inspired by Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee,
the self-taught filmmaker blends universally relevant themes of family, friendship, community and love with enough
punches, kicks to the jaw and car chases to warrant its own “action” credits.
Even with central Ohio’s sizable Somali community—over 17,000 strong, according to the most recent count—the
city known more for its beef patties than its mufo is primed to become the site for a burgeoning international
movement if Atto has anything to do with it. When the 27-year-old transplant from Atlanta first moved to Columbus in
2001, he immediately seized the opportunity to expand from filming weddings to financing the bulk of Rajo himself. If
all goes well with the weekend turnout and its concurrent premiere in Minneapolis, Atto eventually plans to open
Rajo in San Francisco, Seattle, Canada and Europe. Stressing pride in his adopted city, Atto wants “people living
everywhere from Paris to South Africa to say I know about Columbus, about Cleveland Avenue.”
Rajo screens at 11:30 p.m. nightly through November 30 at Studio 35.
—Nikki Davis
November 27, 2003
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