In Docuseries ‘Keinaan, Go Back to Somalia,’ Finnish YouTube Star Turns Racist Comments Into a Personal Statement

YouTube star Abdirahman Keinaan was born in Finland, but he kept hearing: “Go back to Somalia!” Now, in his new docuseries, he actually does.

“It didn’t come from a place of anger because I’ve been hearing it my whole life. I grew up here. I was born and raised here. And then I thought: ‘Ok, I’ll actually go find out what’s going on over there,’” he tells Variety.

“Keinaan, Go Back to Somalia,” a co-production between Keinaan’s own Knaans and YLE Culture & Factual Content, just premiered at the Helsinki Intl. Film Festival – Love & Anarchy. It’s directed by Timo Korpi and Keinaan, and produced by Pertti Neuvonen.

“[This title] provokes people. It definitely makes them react,” laughs Keinaan.

“Listen – I’ve been experiencing this since I was a child. It used to be face-to-face. Now, it’s online comments. In this country, it’s pretty normal, and I’m not the only one. I’ve gotten used to it, which is kind of sad.”

Keinaan started posting content when he was just 16 years old.

“That’s when I uploaded my first videos on YouTube with my best friend. I’ve been doing it for eight years, and I started making documentaries two years ago. I travel around the world and tell people’s stories. It has become a real passion.”

This time, accompanied by his cameraman Hamsa Hussein, he had to tell his own story: the story of someone caught between two different cultures.

“I never talk about myself. Whether on YouTube or in my documentaries, I focus on other people. I’ve never been the type to open up on social media either. But when we were talking with YLE, we wanted to make a show that’s different from what I usually do. It was supposed to be personal.”

It wasn’t an easy transition, he admits.

“It started to hit me when we came back from Somalia. I went: ‘I’m talking about things I’ve never talked about before!’ Sometimes it feels almost too personal. I’m still processing things.”

He will return to Somalia – this time without cameras.

“I just want to go there again and connect with the people,” he says.

“I used to be so scared of Somalia. I kept hearing terrible things about it, like that people were getting killed and that it was dangerous. Then, after a while, something changed in me. I started getting curious. This series will show people a new side of Somalia. I’m really happy about that.”

Having a festival premiere put him on a par with industry veterans. Not that he has ever felt inferior.

“These are two different industries, but I’m all about learning. Nobody teaches us anything – we learn everything from YouTube. We just sit there and figure things out. This time, I was surrounded by a professional crew, and I think it’s a good mix. The whole thing still feels like me,” he notes.

“Just because I’m a YouTuber doesn’t mean this show is basic. I didn’t know what it meant to have your work shown at a festival or that people dream of showcasing their films this way. But if a story is impactful, it shouldn’t matter who’s behind it.”

What started as a fun thing to do turned him into a role model. It still takes some getting used to.

“There was a moment when I realized: ‘People are looking up to me now.’ When you do stuff for fun, you only see numbers and views. You don’t see the people. But when they come up to you and say you’re their idol, it starts to click,” he says.

“It used to make me nervous, but these days I just want to talk about things that interest me. I don’t put additional pressure on myself just because others are watching me.”

He feels that now is a good time for a show like his. He’s not the only one in the world who feels torn.

“I knew right away that millions of people could relate to that. There’s potential for this show to be sold to other countries, which is a good thing because we don’t talk enough about what it means to live in between two cultures. What is it like? Where do you belong? What is your home?”

“Some people tell you: ‘Go back to your country.’ But which country?!”