CHARCOAL TRAFFIC is the story of two brothers trapped in a murderous cycle of environmental and cultural devastation in Somalia. Olaad is a charcoal trader, living well by destroying trees to make charcoal. Olaad uses the power of the gun to get what he wants.
Olaad's work crew are young men, whose only skills are using guns and chewing the narcotic leaf known as khat. In their goal to make money, the charcoal producers lost their connections with their traditional pastoralist culture and the natural environment.
Olaad's brother Gelle lives in the traditional Somali way - as a nomadic pastoralist herding goats. When Gelle tries to stop charcoal producers from cutting trees, needed to preserve the fragile environment and ensure vegetation for his goats, Olaad cannot protect him.
The brothers' story illustrates the other war in Somalia - pitting the fragile environment and the pastoral way of life against charcoal producers - out to make money whatever it takes.
The first fictional film shot in Somalia in over 20 years, CHARCOAL TRAFFIC was filmed entirely on location in northern Somalia featuring a local cast with no previous acting experience.
Through the dramatic story of CHARCOAL TRAFFIC, Hot Sun Films and Sun Fire Cooking's goal is to promote community discussion among Somalis about charcoal production, environmental destruction and solar cooker alternatives to charcoal for everyday cooking.
In Somali with English subtitles.
� New Beijing International Film Week, China
� Leith International Short Film Festival, Edinburgh Scotland
� Shoot Me Film Festival The Hague, Netherlands
� Greening the Beige, Environmental Festival Beijing, China
� Durban International Film Festival, South Africa
� Canterbury Short Film Festival, Christchurch, New Zealand
� Badhan, Somalia, Community screening
� International Competition, Lenola Film Festival, Italy
� CamboFest and Cambo Lite (preview) Phnom Penh, Cambodia
� Palm Springs International Short Fest, California, USA
� Global Peace Film Festival, Orlando, Florida, USA
� Planet in Focus, Toronto, Canada
� Raindance International Film Festival, London, UK.
� Short Film Official Competition of the Festival International du Film d'Environnement, Paris France.
� Roshd International Film Festival, Tehran, Iran,
� Istanbul Short Film Festival, Turkey
� Oakland International Film Festival, California, USA