In Mogadishu hundreds of deserted warriors from the Islamist militant group Al Shabab are drifting in a limbo; unable to return to their Western countries and now in hiding from the terrorist group Al-Shabab.

Lost Warrior follows a young British Somali, Mohammed, determined to make it back in the UK to be reunited with his young wife and child, while his family tries to untangle the legal and moral puzzle.

Søren and Nasib, how did you get together and get access to the former Al-Shabab fighter Mohammed to tell his story?
Søren Steen Jespersen: Nasib had been working for a while on the dangers of radicalisation with our producer Helle Faber, and he asked me to join him in the film Warriors from the North [Best Mid-Length Film at Hot Docs 2015] about young Somali Danes who go off to fight for Al-Shabab. We met Mohammed for that film, who briefly told us how he had deserted the terrorist group, and we felt it would be interesting to follow his story.

Nasib Farah: The first time I got in touch with Mohammed for Lost Warrior was in February 2015. I went to Somalia, spoke to him, I showed him Warriors from the North, explained what we wanted to do and he agreed to do the film. We followed him in Somalia and in Nairobi, filming separately his wife’s story in London.

SSJ: We had a great team working with us. Nasib is the person with the access and contacts, but we worked with cinematographer Henrik Bohn Ipsen who shot the scenes in Somalia and Nairobi. Then we had another great cinematographer and assistant director, Anita Mathal Hopland who filmed in London with Nasib. The fact that she’s a woman and has a deep understanding of traditions within immigrant communities in London - with her Pakistani origin - was crucial to build the trust with Mohamed’s young wife Fathi and her family.

Søren, this is your second film about radicalisation and its effects. Why did you decide to shed a light on that particular topic?
SSJ: Since 9/11, in Denmark and in our Western world, we’ve experienced a polarisation between the immigrant community and majority white community, due to fear, stereotypes and presumptions about immigrants. This is increasingly prevalent in our debates.

I feel it is important to shed a light on the mechanisms that lead to this polarisation and one key factor is radicalisation. We’re all afraid of terrorist attacks, and because of fear in our society, we create laws that actually undermine the freedom rights that we’re so famously known for.

Nasib, how were you able to get access to closed Somali communities in Denmark, first for Warriors from the North and now for Lost Warrior?
NF: I’m from Somalia and can speak the language and I understand the culture. Somali people are often described in the media as asylum-seekers, in a rather negative way and are often reluctant to speak to journalists. It takes a long time to gain people’s trust and this is what I’ve invested a lot of efforts into. Time.

The film focuses on Mohammed’s relationship with his wife but there is little mention of Al Shabab and how youths in the West join them. Why?
SSJ: There are several reasons. First of all, we felt we had dealt with the topic of radicalisation in our previous film Warriors from the North. Secondly, we wanted to talk about this issue through a different perspective, a love story, a family drama set in a world of violent conflict and highly politically-charged environment. We felt people would better relate and identify with characters if we focused on the universal story of a father who wants to be reunited with his wife and child.

The film also offers a unique insight into how young Somali leave their country, putting their lives in the hands of human smugglers…
SSJ: The film reflects the reality in Somalia. Young people pressure their parents to travel illegally to Europe and the parents have to sell their houses, or life stock to raise the money for smugglers.

N F: Smugglers are everywhere in Somalia, it’s a real industry unfortunately.

The notion of clan seems essential in Somalia. Do you think a society with a clan system is stronger than a society based on individualism?
NF: The clan is like an insurance that protects you if you’re in trouble. The clans in Somalia tend to take charge of the country’s affairs. They are very powerful, above state authority. We have four big clans and half-clans of ‘immigrants’ that came centuries ago from Yemen, India, Turkey.

What do you think is Mohammed’s future?
NF: He is currently detained in a centre in Mogadishu for young men who left Al-Shabab. When I speak to him, he is very confused and frustrated.

What do you think Western societies should or could do to prevent radicalisation?
NF: It’s important to give a voice to Muslim communities in the West and explain the consequences of radicalisation.

JJS: We have to look at the whole package. Politicians come up with radical solutions-they take away the passports of radicalised youths, expel them to where they come from. But that’s not a solution. They will feel even more unwanted. Inclusion and education are some of the measures needed.

Do you have another project together?
NF: We’re planning to do another film about re-education. This is when Somali families living in the West but are afraid of seeing their kids becoming westernised and losing their cultures, send them to Somalia or Kenya in ‘re-education’ centres. After, they hope the youngsters will come back transformed. But it often fails.

What is the distribution plan for the film?
SSJ: We have Nordic broadcasters on board and DR Sales handles world distribution. We’re also going to show the film in the ghettos, in communities where radicalisation happens, in Denmark and in the UK.