Amiin Madar

Theater the New Hip-Hop depicts the life of Sharmarke Elmi. In a world where hip-hop has been the primary creative expression, he challenges himself and his surroundings. Sharmarke starts with stand-up but discovers that theater also can be a way to create stories out of life. With the support of his friends who are artists, poets and writers, he gathers the courage and get up on a theater stage for the first time. The film captures Sharmarke’s struggle to break norms. It is a film about theater, hip-hop and society.

In a suburb of Stockholm, a group of 13-year-olds prepare for the rhetoric competition Debattmästarna. Guided by their mentor Mariama, they train to articulate their views on charged social issues such as crime, stop-and-search zones, and profiling based on clothing.