Whispers of a Burning Scent
TITLE
Whispers of a Burning Scent
DIRECTOR
Mo Harawe
COUNTRY
Austria, Germany, Somalia
YEAR
2026
DURATION
29′
GENRE
Fiction
Overview

Whispers of a Burning Scent
On the day of a decisive court hearing and an important wedding performance, a quiet wedding musician finds his private life exposed to public scrutiny. Accused of exploiting his marriage, he moves between courtroom, city streets and stage, carrying the weight of judgment, loyalty, and unspoken guilt. Forced to make a restrained but irreversible decision, the film observes a man whose inner truth remains elusive, caught between devotion, dignity and loss.

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY - Mo Harawe
Mo Harawe is a Somali-Austrian filmmaker and screenwriter. His award-winning short films include Life on the Horn and Will My Parents Come to See Me. His debut feature The Village Next to Paradise premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival at 2024.
Credits
- DirectorMo Harawe
- ScreenplayMo Harawe
- CinematographyMostafa El Kashef
- CastOmar Abdi, Canab Axmed Ibraahin, Nuh Musse Berjeeb, Maxamed Axmed Maxamed
- EditingAlexander von Piechwoski
- Producer/s Mo Harawe
- Production Company
- Distributor/sSquare Eyes
- Project TitleWhispers of a Burning Scent
- Project Type Fiction
- Completion Date30 Jan 2026
- Country of originAustria, Germany, Somalia
- Country of filmingAustria, Germany, Somalia
- LanguageSomali
- First-time Filmmaker No
- Student ProjectNo

Mo Harawe
Mo Harawe is a Somali-Austrian filmmaker and screenwriter. His award-winning short films include Life on the Horn and Will My Parents Come to See Me. His debut feature The Village Next to Paradise premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival at 2024.
Specifications
SELECTIONS & AWARDS
IFFR
Rotterdam
January 28, 2026
World premiere
Netherlands






