ABOUT nine years ago Harun Mohammed and his brother Ali fled their home in Somalia and sought refuge in South Africa.
Last night the two brothers rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty of the film world after the movie they starred in was nominated for an Academy Award in the live action short film category.
After fleeing with their family in 2004, the young refugees ended up in Cape Town, where they were cast to play the leading roles in the film Asad.
It is a story about a Somali boy who has only two options in life - to either become a pirate or an honest fisherman.
But the drama to get the boys to the Oscars over the weekend could have been the compelling storyline of a movie script in itself.
Harun, 14, and Ali, 12, would have been unable to attend the ceremony (early this morning SA time), had it not been for a cast of helpers that included SA ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, a director in the Western Cape government, Melanie Mahona, and Malia Heroux of the the US consulate.
When news broke about the film's nomination the two boys did not have passports. Nor did their father, Mahdi, who accompanied them.
Mahona and South African co-producer Rafiq Samsodien jumped into action.
After much "frustration" they called Rasool, who helped get the children passports in four days.
On Tuesday night, a day before they were scheduled to fly, Pandor had Mahdi's passport delivered to Cape Town.
But authorities in Washington DC only cleared Ali's visa .
"The American director then called on the White House in DC to expedite the clearance process of the father and Harun. This was done overnight."
By 9.20am on Friday the documents were ready for collection and Heroux had it printed in just 20 minutes.
Then the mad dash began. Their tickets had to be re-issued, the documents had to be collected at the consulate and the family needed a lift to the airport.
The siblings and their father boarded a plane on Friday just hours after everyone's visas were issued.
They finally took off at 12.30pm.
"When we had the first screening of Asad I saw the kids' clothes were tattered, so I felt we should reach out to the corporates," Mahona said.
Woolworths gave each an outfit, Mayett International sponsored designer clothes and businessmen Marcel Golding and Anwah Nagia made cash contributions.
Whatever the outcome, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said the boys are "real-life stars".
Drama to get Asad stars to Oscars
ABOUT nine years ago Harun Mohammed and his brother Ali fled their home in Somalia and sought refuge in South Africa.
Last night the two brothers rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty of the film world after the movie they starred in was nominated for an Academy Award in the live action short film category.
After fleeing with their family in 2004, the young refugees ended up in Cape Town, where they were cast to play the leading roles in the film Asad.
It is a story about a Somali boy who has only two options in life - to either become a pirate or an honest fisherman.
But the drama to get the boys to the Oscars over the weekend could have been the compelling storyline of a movie script in itself.
Harun, 14, and Ali, 12, would have been unable to attend the ceremony (early this morning SA time), had it not been for a cast of helpers that included SA ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, a director in the Western Cape government, Melanie Mahona, and Malia Heroux of the the US consulate.
When news broke about the film's nomination the two boys did not have passports. Nor did their father, Mahdi, who accompanied them.
Mahona and South African co-producer Rafiq Samsodien jumped into action.
After much "frustration" they called Rasool, who helped get the children passports in four days.
On Tuesday night, a day before they were scheduled to fly, Pandor had Mahdi's passport delivered to Cape Town.
But authorities in Washington DC only cleared Ali's visa .
"The American director then called on the White House in DC to expedite the clearance process of the father and Harun. This was done overnight."
By 9.20am on Friday the documents were ready for collection and Heroux had it printed in just 20 minutes.
Then the mad dash began. Their tickets had to be re-issued, the documents had to be collected at the consulate and the family needed a lift to the airport.
The siblings and their father boarded a plane on Friday just hours after everyone's visas were issued.
They finally took off at 12.30pm.
"When we had the first screening of Asad I saw the kids' clothes were tattered, so I felt we should reach out to the corporates," Mahona said.
Woolworths gave each an outfit, Mayett International sponsored designer clothes and businessmen Marcel Golding and Anwah Nagia made cash contributions.
Whatever the outcome, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said the boys are "real-life stars".
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