she made girlhood and recently portrait of a lady on fire.t's already one of my favourite films of the year. if not, it is in my top three at the end of the year. a young girl, nelly, has lost her grandmother. and she goes with her mother to her grandmother's house to clean it out, the mother can't deal with the grief. nelly goes out into the woods and finds a hut her mother made and finds another young girl who shares the name of her mother, and seems to share many of the experiences that she knows her mother had. so on the one hand it's a fairy tale. on the other hand it's a ghost story. maybe a time travelling story. maybe it's back to the future without the delorean. it's beautiful — it's so natural and so well observed. it's about bridging the intergenerational gap, about parents and children and grandmothers and that. and it's really profound. but it's a u—certificate film. anyone can see this film. it's 72 minutes long. it is as close to a perfect film as i can remember seeing. it is absolutelyjust drop—dead astonishing, and i would en

your book starts with your girlhood in the desert when you were sent to live with your grandmother.nd she was really an extraordinary woman who had a truly specialized skill set for surviving in the hard. environment of the somali desert. can you tell us the story about how she survived that harsh way of life in. >> you know, my grandmother come of age in the desert, but really forever on that was when she, you know, grew up. you know, when i think of my grandmother, what come to mind is how she really tamed the desert. as you know, it's one of the harshest environments. not only, you know, the scorpions, snakes, but there's lions ask hyenas -- and hyenas. so what i learned from her, shee would really learn from everyone -- she was a poet, and she married my grandfather who was also a lawyer. so my grandmother really learned, i remember her -- [inaudible] whichr i thought all the grandmothers. i remember her -- which was a job that was given to usually a man, you know? but she did all that. . she created poetry you would know if you're sitting there what she was saying. i was given

your book starts with your girlhood inou the desert you were sent to live with your grandmother. was really an extraordinary woman who had a truly special skill set for surviving in the harsh environment and the symbolic desert. can you tell us a story so help us understand how she survives in that beautiful, that harsh way of life? >> you know, my grandmother came of age of the desert. from early on that was when she grew up. i think of my grandmother, what comes to mind is how one of the harshest environments. the scorpions, snakes from what i learned she really learned she was a poet and married my grandfather who is also a warrior. my grandmother really learned -- [inaudible] i remember her becoming a camel herder. it was usually given to a man. she did all of that and was a poet she had a intricate poetry she would not know it if he was sitting there what she was saying. i was given as a gift of labor to that grandmother. i grew up under that amazing activist and in her shadow. that's what our member most about her. >> i wanted to follow-up on anthat. the name of your book i

shugri, i'd like to start with you.ug your book starts with your girlhood in the desert where you sent to live with her grandmother. she was with an extraordinary woman who had a truly special skill set for surviving in the harsh environment in somalia desert. can you tell us a story that would help us understand how she thrived in that beautiful but harsh way of s life? but harsh way of life? >> my grandmother came of age really from early on that is when she grew up. when i think of my grandmother, what comes to mind is how she really tamed the desert. it's one of the hottest environments. the scorpions, snakes there's lions and hyenas. from what i learned in her history, she really learned from early on she was a poet and married my grandfather was also a lawyer. my grandmother really learned -- i remember her when i was ten years old i remember her a job that was given usually two men. but she did all of that. she created poetry you would know if you're sitting there what she was saying. i was given as a gift of labor to that grandmother. i grew up under that amazing activist and i