About Abdi
Born in Mombasa, Kenya. Raised in St. Paul, MN.
From the Horn of Africa, to the Midwestern tundra, my story is that of every immigrant: taken from one home to create anew in an unfamiliar place. I was raised in Minnesota but grew up in a Somali Muslim household. I studied in both Boston and Minneapolis for college and have a background in media, education, and technology.
I’ve always enjoyed a good story. Whether it came from family or the silver screen, I found myself enchanted by the art of storytelling. Coming from a Somali background, the impulse to craft and share stories is inherent. We come from a long lineage of orators who have passed down tales from the ages. Over time I realized that many of the narratives shared in the mainstream were rarely reflective of my lived experience and if they were they were often misconstrued.
As a journalist and filmmaker, I work to tell stories that I never got to see. For over six years I’ve worked on local and national news stories. For the past decade, I’ve stood behind the camera as a filmmaker to create narrative and documentary projects to spotlight experiences we rarely see on screen.
Education
University of Minnesota Twin Cities - BA in Communication Studies - Class of 2020
Film Program Participation
Film North’s Inclusive & Socially Conscious Filmmaking Lab - 2020 Participant
SPNN/Jerome Foundation New Angle Documentary Fellow - 2022
Kartemquin Films Diverse Voices in Documentary Fellow - 2023