The artist

Ibrahim Mursal is a Norwegian-Somali-Sudanese filmaker and writer. After graduating as an oil engineer, he followed his passion in film, making 3 short films and his award-winning debut feature documentary The Art of Sin. Mursal likes to explore the concept of identity in his films, taking advantage of his diverse background in finding his stories. He received the Norwegian Art Council fil grant for 2020 and was selected to be part of the esteemed Nordic Film Lab for 2020.

Mursal also works as an advisor at the non-profit and politically independent organisation Sex og Politikk (IPPF Norway). The organisation works to strengthen and promote sexual and reproductive health and rights in Norway and internationally. In addition, he works as a project manager for Minotenk, where he develops films to illuminate taboos, gender roles, expectations, culture and religion, mental health, functional variation and sexual orientation in a nuanced and inviting way.

Selected works

Filmography: The Art of Sin (documentary, 2020), The art of being a sinner (short doc, 2017), Filim (short, 2014), 50 piasters (short, 2012).

FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

In FOMO: Fear of Missing Out, Mursal explores the concept of diaspora identity. After missing out on the Sudanese revolution, an existential dread sets upon him, can he still call himself Sudanese despite missing out on the most important event in the country's recent history? Together with other diaspora kids from several backgrounds, he goes on a journey to find out what the idea of 'home' really means. What does it mean to belong to a country, or two, or three?

The Art of Sin (documentary, 2020)

Norwegian title: Kunsten å være syndig

In this documentary, Mursal follows Ahmed Umar, a successful young Sudanese artist, living and working in Norway, where he has been living for the past ten years after fleeing from Sudan. Struggling with his sexuality, Ahmed was forced to leave his home country, which is one of seven countries that still practice the death penalty for homosexuality. In Norway, Ahmed Umar has affirmed his sexual identity, becoming the first openly gay man from Sudan, he is also one of the most successful up and coming young artists, exhibiting throughout galleries in Norway, and internationally. Despite the success, he is still missing something. In 2018 he decides to go to Sudan to reunite with his mother and his family, hoping to affirm his Sudanese identity in a country that sees him as a sinner.

Read more here.