⋆｡‧ WARYA (dir.
@miskitto ) is showing at The Belly and The Eye ⋆｡‧
WARYA is a playful mockumentary about Hamza, a spirited young boy who believes he’s the undisputed king of his town. When his beloved bottle of Fanta goes missing, he embarks on a chaotic quest to find it, roping in neighbors, dodging goats, and declaring royal decrees along the way. Shot in the rural town of Garlogoobe in Somalia, WARYA blends comedy, charm, and a touch of absurdity to capture the wild imagination of childhood and the quiet poetry of everyday life.
✦ About the director ✦
Miski Omar is a Somali-Australian writer, director, and speech pathologist based in Western Sydney. Her work spans film, poetry, and essays, shaped by a panoramic view of the diverse stories she encounters across the city. Her writing appears in The Guardian, where she explores language, culture, and modern life. A Bankstown Poetry Slam alum, she has performed at Parliament House, Sydney Writers Festival, and the Sydney Comedy Festival.
Her directorial debut, Westerners, premiered on ABC iView as part of the Fresh Blood initiative. In 2024, she made WARYA, a poetic mockumentary shot solo in Somalia, which premiered at the inaugural African Film Festival Australia. She later wrote and directed Button Pusher for the Blacktown Arts Short Film Initiative, which screened at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival. Miski was also a director’s attachment on ABC’s Logie-nominated series Optics and is a key writer on Tint, a web series developed with Screen Australia. Her films have screened at SXSW, ACMI, and the Sydney Opera House.
✦⟡✦⟡
WARYA will screen at The Belly and the Eye, an intimate, one-night-only gathering of film, food and art - featuring short films by emerging Sydney filmmakers with snacks and art inspired by their stories, characters, and places.
✦ SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
✦ 5PM - 9PM
✦ MACHINE HALL, EORA
🎟️ Tickets via link in bio
💌 Film submissions open - link in bio
