Ahead of its premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh, the first trailer has been released for A Girl from Mogadishu starring How to Get Away With Murder actress Aja Naomi King. An Irish-Belgian co-production, it screened back at the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival in February and is also screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

It is based on the true story of Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali Irish refugee who became one of the worlds top activists against gender-based violence.

She has survived FGM (female genital mutilation survivor) twice. The film’s description: “Ahmed was born into a refugee camp in Somalia in 2006 and emigrated to Ireland as a teenager. Recounting her traumatic childhood experiences of female genital mutilation when applying for refugee status, she is re-traumatized and vows to devote her life to the eradication of the practice — taking her campaign all the way to the President of Ireland and finally to the European Parliament and United Nations.”

The film also stars Martha Canga Antonio, Barkhad Abdi and Maryam Mursals. Watch the trailer below:

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Aja Naomi King to star in ‘A Girl From Mogadishu’ — story of Somali refugee and gender-based violence activist

Photo: Galway Film Fleadh