Broken Dreams

Filmmakers Present

Now home to the nation’s largest Somali population, Minneapolis has, over the past twenty years, become known as a welcoming place for families seeking a new beginning outside of their war-torn homeland. 

It came as a shock when in 2008, a group of young Somali men seemingly disappeared from their Minnesota home, only to be discovered among the ranks of Al-Shabab and other organizations in the east African nation. How it came to be that these young men, some of whom had never even set foot in Somalia, gave up the comforts of home for a fight a world away is the focus of this groundbreaking documentary.

Fathia Absie, for the first time, documents the families of these men as they openly talk about the hopes and dreams of their sons, and provides much-needed context through interviews with area youth and community leaders. Absie’s important and thorough examination attempts to put into perspective an event that blindsided the Minneapolis community, and most importantly, gives a voice to those who are seldom heard in this deeply troubling development: the family and friends of those who've vanished.

Print Source: Fathia Absie, [email protected]