“The Gravedigger’s Wife” (“Guled and Nasra”)

(France/Somalia/Germany/Finland/Qatar)

Screened at the 57th Annual Chicago International Film Festival (4/5)

What lengths would you go to for the one you love? That’s the core question in this multinational production about a Djibouti gravedigger who barely ekes out a living and is now faced with coming up with the money to pay for a life-saving operation for his dying wife. This heartrending and heartbreaking tale has its predictable moments and a few story threads that aren’t as fully developed as they could have been, but the superb chemistry between the protagonists, enlivened by the excellent performances of Omar Abdi and Yasmin Warsame, make this an engaging and compelling watch overall. Writer-director Khadar Ahmed’s debut feature is a fine showcase for a superb emerging talent, one who shows tremendous promise for future projects.